Tragic Angel
by Deirdre Blair
Summary: SMHP Hotaru, as a spy for Voldemort, goes to Hogwarts. Once there, she digs herself deeper into the hole that was already deep enough as it was and uncovers a destiny that could decide the outcome of the entire world's fate. UPDATED (21.04)
1. Missions and Death Eaters

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Harry Potter. I repeat, I do not own Sailor Moon or Harry Potter. I mean it. No suing! 

Summary: Hotaru, as a spy of Voldemort's, goes to Hogwarts as a transfer student from Japan. At the same time, a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor comes to watch over her. Is Hotaru more than a mysterious Death Eater in disguise? 

Author's Note: Told you I'd be making a Sailor Moon/Harry Potter story in the near future. I haven't decided on whether or not I'm going to make this Hotaru/Draco or Hotaru/Harry. You can bet your arse that it's going to be Ron/Hermione. They're so perfect for each other that it's crazy. I mean, I honestly think J.K. Rowling is hinting at it. Especially in the last two books. She's also hinting at Harry/Ginny...but I like Ginny/Blaise. Anyway, on with the show. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it! Please review! 

Rating: PG13 (just to be safe, you know) 

Pairing: Ron/Hermione, Hotaru/Draco or Hotaru/Harry 

Genre: Drama/Romance 

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter One  
Missions and Death Eaters**

Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord, sat in his chambers, examining a letter written by Professor Dumbledore to a Ms. Hotaru Tomoe. The letter was suspicious and the receiver had sent it immediately to the Dark Lord to be examined. Voldemort read it as a legitamite invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The only odd thing was that Hotaru received it at the age of sixteen. This matter had to be discussed with the prodigy Death Eater. 

In moments time, there was a knock on the door and two people entered. One bowed, announced the other's arrival, and left the two together. Hotaru stepped forward, bowed with respect, and looked at Voldemort. "Have you decided on the letter yet, my Lord?" 

Voldemort folded it and handed it back to Hotaru. "Yes. You will go to Hogwarts and become a student. You'll go there as a transfer student from Japan and as my spy. I want you to report everything and anything that goes on in that school. And, I want you to try and get close to Harry Potter. Doing so will get him to trust you enough so that you can lead him to me." 

"Anything else?" Hotaru asked without much surprise in her voice. She was the best Death Eater in the whole of Voldemort's Inner Cicle, including Lucius Malfoy, and she was only sixteen. She was also Voldemort's most loyal servant. Although, she didn't allow him to call her a servant. They held mutual respect for one another. This was very surprising considering that Hotaru was a half-blood. However, since she wasn't too unlike himself, he had a soft spot for her and didn't treat her as bad as the other Death Eaters. She was, at this point, in his very good graces. 

Voldemort seemed to think a moment longer. "Nothing at this moment. I'll contact you if I have any more instructions to send. Or, you will hear them from the son or daughter of a Death Eater as their parents would have been able to contact them." Voldemort noticed that Hotaru didn't even so much as blink an eye when he mentioned someone else having parents. "You're a very able, strong-willed girl, Hotaru. You'll be able to lie about your intentions easily enough. Not to mention that you won't fail me like my other's." 

Hotaru smirked. "Failure wasn't in my job description, my Lord. However, I am concerned about the Sorting Hat. Isn't it said to read into your soul and know your every secret? This could cause some problem." 

Voldemort nodded and produced a small white-gold ring with three gems on it's surface, two rubies on either side of a black quartz stone. "Wear this and nobody will be able to see past your facade." 

Hotaru's eyes widened. "Isn't that--?" 

"Yes, it is the Ring of Laverna *. I found it on my journies in the past and have become quite fond of it. It has served useful in the past and now I give it to you. It will aid you in your deeds." Voldemort handed the ring over to Hotaru, who, with a trembling hand, took it from Voldemort's hand. 

Hotaru stared at it with a wide-eyed expression. "I-I don't know what to say. I've heard rumours of this ring, how you treasure it and never let anyone else lay eyes on it... Why--?" 

"You need to ask that question?" 

Hotaru looked up at him and revealed a rare, small smile. "No, my Lord. And I thank you for helping me. I wasn't sure how to fool the Sorting Hat." 

"And perhaps it will ensure your entrance into the Gryffindor house to get Potter. I know that you're a complete Slytherin, not an inch of you is Gryffindor--although you are brave...which is surprising indeed--but I think it will serve the mission better if you are placed in Gryffindor. Though, I wouldn't hate it if you were in Slytherin." 

Hotaru nodded. "Well, I'll get into a house, don't you worry about that. Which one, however, is up to the Sorting Hat. I don't know if I have much jurisdiction over that choice." 

Voldemort nodded as well. "You leave first thing in the morning. The train from King's Cross station will arrive on schedule and you will be expected to make friends with Potter." 

"Yes, my Lord. Good night, my Lord." Hotaru left, shutting the door silently behind her. She took the ring off of her finger and hid in her cloack pocket. It wouldn't be wise to flaunt the priceless ring. Everyone knew she was Voldemort's pet, and she already got harrassed on a regular basis. She didn't need anymore of that. She exited the grounds and went to the local wizarding pub. 

Hotaru seated herself on a barstool and asked for the usual red currant rum. Nobody cared much about the drinking age in this pub. If you were a Death Eater, you deserved a drink, whether you be six or sixty. She sipped at her rum, thinking about her mission as she leaned her head on her hand. It was a big mission--the biggest mission she had ever been on. She had never been in such a risky place. 

Hopefully, the other Death Eater children would keep their flapping traps shut about the whole business. While she was harrassed about being the apple of the Dark Lord's eye, she was still one of the most well-known Death Eaters. She had been one, after all, since she was five years old. She had urged to Voldemort that she was ready and didn't even wince as he gave her the Dark Mark (which wasn't on her forearm, but her upper arm to ensure security). Since then, she has been legend--only spoken in secrecy as being the most vile, wicked, and detached Death Eater of them all, besides Voldemort himself. She was so secret that not even the Order of the Phoenix knew about her. In fact, not many wizards or witches knew about her at all. 

"Well, if it isn't Mrs. Dark Lord." 

Hotaru frowned noticeably and wished for a swift death. Unfortunately, death never came and Lucius Malfoy sat right next to her, obviously a little less than sobre. "What brings you here, Malfoy? They kick you out of the Gentlemen's Club for pimping that leggy blonde around? What's her name again? Sarah...Sandra...something like that? You never keep track though, do you?" 

Lucius visibly frowned and Hotaru looked at him, rolling her eyes. He had trouble keeping focus on her for too long. "You know," slurred Lucius. "You'd be so much prettier if you didn't have such a thirst for insult." 

Hotaru's eyes widened. "Wow. I'm surprised you were even able to comprehend what I said, let alone manage a full sentence on your own. You know, alcohol can do some pretty nasty things to you. Why don't you quit?" She seemed to think about that for a moment. "Nah, never mind. Drink to your heart's content and then some. You'll get liver disease, die, and do the world a huge favour." 

Lucius furrowed his brow, and opened his mouth to speak. But he shut it again, probably because he forgot what he was going to say. He looked down at her drink. "You're one to talk... You aren't even of age and you're already drowning yourself in booze." 

Hotaru glanced at her own drink. "I'm different, Malfoy. When I get drunk, I don't hit on people who are young enough to be my daughter." 

"What do you mean by that?" 

"Like you'll even remember if I told you," Hotaru snapped. 

"Well, I don't like your tongue. I'm leaving and when I get home, I'm going to puke my heart out." 

Hotaru downed her drink. "Good. Except there is a flaw in your plan. In order to puke your heart out, you actually have to have a heart to begin with. You, my fair liege, have only a black hole." 

Lucius got up, stretched, and began walking. Hotaru kept up with him in a steady pace. She had only one drink and wasn't feeling at all tipsy. She had to escort Lucius home, or else he'd end up Apparating half of himself to Sweden and the other half as a birthday present for a poor kid in Ohio. And if he actually were to die and had Hotaru been there to prevent it yet do nothing, Voldemort would be most displeased. 

"Once again... You are a hipp...hypo...hypnotisical...wait...hypno...hippo..." 

"Hypocrite, Malfoy?" 

"Yes, thank you. You are a hypocrite. I have never seen someone kill so many people without killing themselves afterward, myself included. You killed your own brother." 

"Uncle." 

"Uncle was it? Yes, you killed poor Samuel--." 

"It was Sachiro, Malfoy." 

"Spachimo? Why the hell do you Chinese people have such hard names? What's wrong with Samuel? Much easier if I do say so myself." 

"I'm _Japanese_. There's a difference." As Hotaru led the drunken man to a carriage, she rolled her eyes. "You know, I much prefer you when you're sobre, Malfoy. You make lousy conversation when drunk. Although, you aren't much conversation when sobre either. You are a dispicable prat, aren't you?" 

"Dispicicouple...no. You are discopiable. Never talking to anyone, always high and mighty. Think you're too good for anyone else just because you're the Lord's favourite lap-dog." At this Hotaru shoved Lucius into the carriage, which caused Lucius to accuse her of abusing him. "Anyway...you have no room to talk, little girl." 

Hotaru shut herself in the carriage as well. "Malfoy Manor, please!" she called to the thestral. "You know, speaking of hypocrites and having little room to talk, you should maybe turn the insults on yourself!" she shouted at him. Unfortunately, when she went to turn at him, she found him to be snoring quite audibly in his seat. 

Hotaru groaned. "Must you snore?" She took out her wand and muttered, "_Silencio!_" and kept the carriage quiet. 

Hotaru didn't hate Lucius. She just greatly disliked him. He was a dishonourable man who cheated on his wife and didn't give a care in the world about his son--who, whether he would admit it or not, needed an excellent amount of attention. Not to mention that he had once kissed Hotaru very deeply one night when dreadfully drunk. It had happened about three weeks prior to this incident and in this very carriage. She still carried him home, however. She felt some sort of loyalty to Lucius, but not on the same scale as the Dark Lord. She didn't know why either. _With these thoughts, you're going to end up in Hufflepuff,_ she frowned. 

In no time, the carriage stopped on the front-door-step of Malfoy Manor. She levitated Lucius out of the carriage and rang the doorbell. 

Narcissa Malfoy answered the door in her nightdress, not surprised at all. "Did he get drunk again down at the pub?" she asked, already knowing the answer and letting the girl in without a question. 

Hotaru levitated Lucius all the way to his den and on his leather sofa. She shut the door and walked back to the foyer and began talking with Narcissa. "Sorry to wake you, Narcissa." 

Narcissa waved her hand. "That's all right. I wasn't sleeping anyway. Would you like some tea?" 

Hotaru smiled. "That'd be greatly appreciated, thank you. It's a surprisingly crisp night." 

Within seconds, Narcissa had the House Elves brewing tea and had led Hotaru to their normal chatting spot--the lounge. "I know you must tire of having to bring Lucius home like this. It's been happening more frequently now. Do you know why?" 

Hotaru bit her lip. "I'm not permitted to say anything. It's my line of work's business." 

"I understand," Narcissa replied, taking her tea from the House Elf. "Leave us." The House Elf did so without protest. "If you don't feel like it anymore, you don't have to bring him home like this. I can always get a servant to keep tabs on him." 

Hotaru smirked. "Why, Mrs. Malfoy, I don't mean to sound rude, but I don't think a servant could keep Lucius preocupied enough to prevent him from an Apparating disaster." 

Narcissa half-smiled. "You're probably right." Narcissa looked up at Hotaru, her eyes deep. "Are you sure you're sixteen? You are so much more mature than any sixteen-year-old that I know. And believe me, I know a lot. Pansy Parkinson for example. She's not nearly half as mature as you are." 

Hotaru blushed from the compliment. "Yes, I am sixteen. But you also must realise that while Pansy Parkinson has been schoolled with children, I have been schoolled by the Dark Lord. I have also been forced to grow up quickly--given my childhood." 

"Yours wasn't much of a childhood, was it? I only know what is rumoured." 

Hotaru looked away. "I'd like to keep the rumours as they are. The less the public--or anyone for that matter--knows about my childhood, the better." 

"That bad?" 

"In a manner of speaking, yes, that bad," Hotaru replied. "I'm starting school at Hogwarts tomorrow morning." 

Narcissa's eyes widened. "You're not serious?" When she noticed Hotaru grimace, she sighed. "You're serious. That's very dangerous Hotaru. You could..." 

"I know the risk. But, others do it as well. Look at your son. He seems to get along without much suspicion." 

"Without much suspicion? Draco is suspected first thing by every student and teacher in that school. If something bad happens--like the Chamber of Secrets, Draco is blamed. I know why, Hotaru. You don't have to tell me. The boy flaunts Death Eater parentage as if it weren't against the law. He asks for trouble. But what is a mother who is miles away supposed to do? I can only lecture him and sending him a Howler would only cause matters to get worse." 

Hotaru shrugged. "Maybe I'll be able to do something once I'm there." 

Narcissa sighed, finally looking very tired with dark circles under her eyes. "I don't want this for Draco. I don't want him to become what Lucius has become. He can support the Dark Lord all he wants. Lord knows I do. But Lucius has a very troubled soul now and too much burden has been placed upon him. He drowns his despair and guilt in alcohol. And I've noticed once or twice, you have too. I want Draco to live like a normal wizard who isn't caught up with the Dark Lord. Because if Draco slips once, which is highly plausible, that's it. He'll be done for." 

Hotaru embraced Narcissa with the compassion only a kindred soul could conjure up. "Yes, it is a burden. But look on the bright side. At least Draco will be fighting for something he believes in." 

Unfortunately, that fact didn't satisfy either Narcissa or Hotaru. 

- 

Hotaru got back to her bedroom at the Leaky Cauldron at about two in the morning. She had time to get about three hours of sleep before she had to get up and get ready to go to King's Cross Station. But that sleep didn't come easy for Hotaru. The only way she had ever been able to sleep was with getting severely drunk and passing out. Unforunately, that would mean she would be sleeping until four in the afternoon. So, she could only lay in bed all night, staring at the moon. 

Sleep was Hotaru's enemy. One of her worst. Nightmares came to her in her sleep, as well as a past she left behind. Once or twice, Hotaru would find the fire calling to her with a familiar voice, but she would never answer. She was going in a new direction in her new life. She had relived the same past over and over. And now that everything was secure in that past, she could move onward. 

And she was in the biggest hole of her entire life. 

TBC... 

Author's Note: Quite honestly, I hadn't planned on Hotaru being a complete Death Eater. But then I started writing it and I just loved the role for her. If you think this is out of character, you are probably right. But read the next chapters (when they come--I'm not thinking you're clairvoyant) and you'll see her become much more in character as the story progresses. You'll see just what hole she's been digging herself into for the past eleven years of her life. And you'll find out which past she is trying to leave behind. Huh. But you probably already know that last one. And if this seems to lean in the Hotaru/Lucius direction, it isn't going to be. I just thought I'd create some history with the Malfoy family. But, heh, Hotaru and Draco have never met. This should be fun. 

* Laverna is the Roman goddess of thieves, pickpockets, shopkeepers or dealers, plagiarists, rascals, and hypocrites. She had a temple near Rome in a grove where a statue of her rested. She was worshipped in silence. Yet, an imposter, hardly able to move his lips, said this prayer or incantation that was in a passage of Horace (Epist. 16, lib. I): 

    "O Goddess Laverna!
  
    Give me the art of cheating and deceiving,
  
    Of making men believe that I am just,
  
    Holy, and innocent! extend all darkness
  
    And deep obscurity o'er my misdeeds!"

This goes to show why I chose Laverna as the deity to have the ring so that the Sorting Hat wouldn't know of Hotaru's intentions. Of course, as of my knowledge (which isn't extensive), there is no actual Ring of Laverna. 

(above information gotten from: __) 

-Deirdre Blair 


	2. Distorted Reality

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: Currently, I do not own Sailor Moon or Harry Potter. But this could all change as my plans for world domination go into effect. 

Summary: Hotaru arrives at Hogwarts, only to discover that a mission involving getting the trust of Harry Potter is more difficult than she thought. And when the new DADA professor arrives, Hotaru will have some explaining to do. 

Author's Note: I already wrote a part of this but I didn't like it at all. And...do tell me if I'm making Hotaru Mary-Sue-ish...because I'd hate to do that to her. She'd kill me. Um, so I'll start this off and I hope you enjoy it so far! Oh, and in response to the many reviews I've received about this, I have decided to make this Hotaru/Harry. Draco has something, or some_one_, else planned for him... 

Rating: PG13 

Pairing: Harry/Hotaru, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Blaise 

Genre: Drama/Romance 

Warning: **SLASH, though not terribly graphic, will be included in future chapters of this fic. SLASH is a same sex relationship, in which in this case is male/male. You have been warned. Please do not flame me on the use of SLASH in this fic. Thank you and enjoy.**

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter Two  
Distorted Reality**

_Previously on **Tragic Angel**: _

~"Wear this and nobody will be able to see past your facade." Voldemort handed the ring over to Hotaru, who, with a trembling hand, took it from Voldemort's hand.~ 

~"I'm starting school at Hogwarts tomorrow morning." 

Narcissa's eyes widened. "You're not serious?"~ 

~She was going in a new direction in her new life. She had relived the same past over and over. And now that everything was secure in that past, she could move onward. 

And she was in the biggest hole of her entire life.~ 

- 

Hotaru found a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with little difficulty. She sat in the empty area and examined her dark, mahogany wand. "Ten inches, mahogany, Augurey feather, blessed in Re'em blood. Custom made. A rare combination indeed." Hotaru's first wand hadn't been this one. It was an ordinary wand (Nine inches, beechwood, unicorn hair) that she got from Ollivanders when she was ten, pretending to go off to Hogwarts. Before then, she had never done wand magic. It was always potions, arithmancy, divination, and other such lessons that didn't involve a wand. But the wand she had now, was custom made by a dodgy fellow in a tavern. He, with his eye-patch and pure-silver hook for a hand, had told Hotaru that she possessed great power and that power could be channelled correctly into only one wand. He told her that their meeting was destiny and that Hotaru was fated to have the wand. 

Of course, she instantly thought it was a load of malarky, but when he revealed the wand to her, she had to have it. To touch it, to feel it in her grasp; it felt like home. It felt like it belonged in her hands. She paid three galleons for it, and took off. She used her divination skills to really see if he had used Augurey feather and Re'em blood in making it. When it proved that he had, Hotaru felt a shivver down her spine. The power this wand had enhanced her own power. With it, she could be unstoppable. 

And now as she looked at it, she realised this was an incredible wand indeed. On the handle was the engraving an acutal Augurey in flight. Hotaru knew it was to show it's contents. But she had never heard of a wand having that quality before. After all, her unicorn-hair-cored wand from before didn't show a unicorn on the handle. Nevertheless, Hotaru was in awe. She didn't tell Voldemort for some reason though. She didn't quite know if she could trust him not to use her for that. 

Surprisingly, only two other people entered the compartment. Hotaru introduced herself as a sixth year transfer student and they introduced themselves as Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Of course, they went into their own little conversation about something Hotaru didn't even bother trying to figure out. Hotaru, instead, watched the scenery pass her by. She idly toyed with the white-gold Ring of Laverna around her finger and hoped to God that nobody really knew what it looked like. 

The train ride lasted a while longer before finally stopping in Hogsmeade Station. Hotaru had already changed into her school robes and was well on her way to find out where she should be. Then she heard a rather gruff-looking giant shout, "Firs' Years and Transfers! This way!" Hotaru took this as her cue to follow him to the little boats that would go up to the castle. 

Hotaru didn't speak with anyone as she rode across the lake. She didn't want to really make friends with anyone but Harry Potter, for that was part of her mission. She followed the first years up to the castle, up the many stairs, and upto what was known as the Great Hall. Hotaru was given an entire layout of every floor, every secret and not-so-secret entrance/exit, and every single room. She studied it carefully over the night and felt she had a pretty good idea of where to go. Besides, if the occasion called for it, she could just cast a spell and a tiny holographic map would appear from the tip of her wand. 

A woman named Professor Minerva McGonagall walked up to them and gave them a short speech about what Houses were about and that they would be like family. McGongall's eyes settled upon Hotaru and she cocked her head to the side a bit, before leading the students into the Great Hall, past the tables, and upto the Sorting Hat. 

Hotaru let her eyes wander over the students, looking for any familiarity. She noticed Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table right off the bat, including many of the other Death Eater's children: Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, and various others. But then, she met eyes with a pair of striking emeralds. They kept their eyes glued to one another before Hotaru finally recognised him. She smirked and looked away, focusing on getting sorted. 

Every last student had been sorted into their respective houses, and then Professor McGonagall made the announcement that they had a transfer student. She had been tutored privately by her guardian and was now ready to attend Hogwarts. "Tomoe, Hotaru," McGonagall called. Hotaru, with nerves of steel, walked up to the Sorting Hat. She locked eyes with Albus Dumbledore and narrowed them, before sitting on the stool to be Sorted. 

"Oh my," the hat said aloud. 

Hotaru twisted the ring on her finger, hoping with all her strength that it was truly the Ring of Laverna. 

"You have such a cunning spirit, alive with bravery and courage as well. Manipulative in your own way," the hat replied. 

_Well, thanks for sharing that with the world,_ Hotaru thought to herself, hoping the hat didn't hear her. 

"I'm not quite sure where to put you. Needless to say, you don't lack the skills of a Slytherin. And Slytherin could make you grow into something extraordinary!" 

_Slytherin, huh? I suppose it wouldn't be too bad. I'll be with people like me, in the very least. However, it'll be tougher for Potter to trust me this way,_ she reasoned. "Yes, Slytherin _sounds_ like a good house. However, what of Gryffindor?" 

Both the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables stiffened, the eyes of the students wide with either shock, or fury, or both. 

"Gryffindor?" asked the hat. "You're brave, I'll give you that. A bit too brave for your own good. However, Gryffindor won't suit you or your needs." 

"Ravenclaw?" asked Hotaru, feeling out for her perfect house. Not to be arrogant, but Hotaru knew her faults and strengths and she would have no trouble selecting her own house. Besides, as long as she wasn't in Slytherin, she would be able to make friends with Potter easily. 

"Hm...Ravenclaw suits your intellect. However, your personality is far from that of a Ravenclaw. Your cunning mind and ambition would be unrewarded in the house of Ravenclaw." 

The students were shell-shocked. This girl was actually _having a conversation with the Hat!_ It was unbelievable. 

"And Hufflepuff?" 

"Ha!" the hat scoffed. "For one to be in Hufflepuff, he or she would have to possess a certain degree of _loyalty_ and carefree innocence. You, my dear, have neither." 

Hotaru visably frowned. "So my options are: Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin, home. Am I hearing you correctly?" 

"SLYTHERIN!!!" the Hat shouted for a reply. 

Hotaru sighed, jumped from the stool, and joined her housemates at the Slytherin table. Some were put off by her attitude during the Sorting. However, one boy brightened up to her immediately--well, brightened up by Slytherin standards anyway. 

Before Hotaru could catch the dashing boy's name, Dumbledore interrupted them to make the usual announcements. After they were done, he told them he had one additional announcement. 

"Following in the tradition since the start of Harry Potter's years here, we now have a replacement for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position," the old man said. Everyone sniggered a little bit at the comment, but Harry didn't take it offensively. But he didn't smile either. "Everyone, I'd like to welcome Ms. Makoto Kino from Japan." 

Hotaru did a double take as she saw Makoto stand up, bow, and sit back down again. What was Makoto doing here? She was supposed to be back "home", protecting the princess from all sorts of horrific torture. Makoto locked eyes with Hotaru, a knowing currant of emerald sea flowing through her eyes. Hotaru's own violet orbs narrowed suspiciously. 

The feast had begun, and Hotaru returned to her conversation with the handsome black-haired, blue-eyed boy from before. 

"I'm sorry, but what's your name?" she asked, knowing who he could be already. 

The name came as no surprise: Blaise Zabini. He looked identical to his father, though a little more good-looking. Same coal-black hair, same sparkling-blue eyes, and same olive complexion. He had his mother's perfect lips, however. It was a good thing, Hotaru thought. His father had no lips at all it seemed like. Hotaru realised that he turned out to be very intelligent too. He didn't once mention that he had dark parentage. 

"So, what classes do you take?" Hotaru asked conversationally. 

Blaise seemed to think about them as he swallowed some chicken. "Arithmancy, Advanced Potions, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Herbology, Ancient Runes, and History of Magic. And you?" 

Hotaru tried to remember as accurately as she could. "Well, I've already completed my training in Arithmancy, Potions, History of Magic, Divination, and Herbology. However, I'm taking Advanced Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Mythology, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination (again), and Ancient Runes. So, it looks as if we'll be in a lot of the same classes." 

Blaise smiled charmingly. "Looks that way." 

Hotaru felt several gazes prickling the back of her neck. She turned inconspicuously towards the teachers. She saw Severus Snape lock eyes with her, but he said nothing. He continued to eat his meal. Hotaru's gaze then swiftly caught the eyes of Makoto Kino. Once again, Hotaru narrowed her eyes in suspicion. However, she turned abruptly and caught Harry Potter staring idly at her. She smirked inwardly. 

"Will you excuse me, Zabini-san?" she asked. But before waiting for his answer, Hotaru took the napkin from her lap and put it on the table, stood up, and walked over to the Gryffindor table. 

As Hotaru neared, she saw that Harry had adverted his attention to his friends and had engaged in a quick conversation with them. That didn't deter Hotaru, and she tapped him gently on his shoulder. 

Harry didn't seem startled at all, and turned slowly. He came face-to-face with Hotaru Tomoe, looking rather curious. 

"May I help you?" he asked, taking on the normal tone he used with all Slytherins. 

Hotaru crossed her arms, but stood perfectly still. "I'd like to ask you the same. What's your name?" she asked quickly after her statement, so that Harry could be caught off-guard. 

Harry blinked. "U-um...Harry Potter. And this is...Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley," he introduced. 

Hotaru's eyes didn't even wander towards Hermione or Ron, but kept locked with Harry's. "Charmed," she murmured. "And you're a Gryffindor, no less. Can't say that I'm at all surprised." 

"Have you been living under a rock or something? Everyone knows that Harry is a Gryffindor!" Ron said, exasperated. 

This time, Hotaru's violet gaze locked with Ron's brown, sparkling with violet electricity and flames. "For your information, I have been living in a secluded life, studying for hours upon hours about magic and such. The only other activities I have participated in are eating, sleeping, and flying." 

Ron stuffed mashed potatoes in his mouth and said something that only half-resembled, "Well that explains the lack of personality." 

Hotaru glared menacingly at him, mercilessly trying to stab every inch of his body with enormous swords--mentally, of course. She shook her head and returned to looking at Harry, staring him directly in his eyes. "Tell me, why is it that the Boy-Who-Lived hangs around with..." As Hotaru searched for the appropriate word, she looked at his two best friends disdainfully. "...a crowd that is rather _low_ on the totem pole? A Mudblood and a Weasley...really, you ought to pick your friends better." 

"That's enough," said a firm voice behind Hotaru. 

"Is it?" Hotaru asked, not even bothering to turn around to see Makoto standing behind her, glaring. Harry had stood up, ready to yell her ear off. Hotaru smirked at Harry. "I'll be seeing you, Potter-san." 

As Hotaru walked off, Harry watched her with a look of complete distaste on his face. "_Slytherins_," he muttered. "They're all alike." 

Makoto's own eyes narrowed. 

When Hotaru returned to her table, she was met with some curious looks from her fellow Slytherins. "What was that all about?" Blaise asked her, quite shocked. 

Hotaru sipped at her pumpkin juice. "Potter was staring at me. Then, I decided I should ask why he is friends with a Mudblood and a Weasley. Before he could rise to my bait, that damned professor got in my way," she replied rather calmly. It was almost unsettling. 

Blaise casually stirred his soup. "You know, it doesn't help in the long run to go and make enemies with such important people," he said cryptically. 

Hotaru looked at him, as if saying, "So you do know?" 

Blaise returned the look. 

Hotaru smirked, took a long drink from her pumpkin juice, and said: "It'll all work out in the end, I assure you. I've been making friends for a long time." 

Shortly after their encounter, Harry and Hotaru went with their houses to the common rooms. Hotaru caught Harry staring at her with a mix of curiosity and utter revulsion. She smiled and waved, just to spite him. Harry nearly snarled and hurried off. 

- 

In the Slytherin Common Room that night, Hotaru sat alone with a rather boring book on the War of 1340 which involved an army of trolls, an army of dwarves, and an argument over a gold sword. With a furrowed brow, Hotaru closed the book and brought out her parchment and quill. She dipped the quill in the ink and wrote on her parchment: _In conclusion, the War of 1340 was an outright idiotic battle over a golden sword which, in fact, had no value whatsoever. Rune scientists now believe that the sword, which was supposedly made out of real gold, was in fact made of steel and gold-plated paint. And all of this bloodshed could have been avoided if they had just been smart enough to concoct a Detection Potion and a Metal Classification Serum. But it has been proven that while they succeed in brute strength, dwarves and trolls are known for incredible stupidity._

With a sigh, she let the ink dry and rolled the parchment up, tied it with a black ribbon, and stuck it in her schoolbag. She took out another tome and flipped to the middle where her bookmark had been placed. This was a more enthralling novel, filled with fantasy and adventure. She had always enjoyed such books. However, she still heard the whispers around the room. 

"I swear, it's her! Just look! She looks _exactly_ like what my parents described!" 

"Oh, you're hallucinating. Surely the Dark Lord wouldn't send her here! She's most likely off in some daring adventure, killing a bunch of Aurors or something." 

"Then how do you explain her name? My mum told me that her name was Hotaru Tomoe." 

"Maybe we should just ask her." 

"_Are you insane_? Remember what I told you? Ruthless and cruel--raised by the Dark Lord himself. She'll kill us for even mentioning it." 

"Oh no, I think she heard us. She's looking this way." 

"Not just looking..._coming_.... Act natural!" 

Hotaru stopped in front of the group of gossiping Slytherins. Two were boys, three were girls. Of course, she recognised each of them at once. Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Erica Kinsley--all children of Death Eaters. "It'd be wise not to whisper about me behind my back. Especially if you are discussing my identity. The walls do have ears you know. And not all of your fellow housemates have your ideals." With that said, Hotaru walked all the way to the other side of the common room where she could read her book in peace. However, Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy sat near her. Blaise on the same sofa, and Draco on a very comfortable-looking chair. 

"Pretty thick, aren't they? Sometimes I wonder how in the world they even got into Slytherin," said Blaise, referring to the group whispering about Hotaru--who had resumed their whispering. 

Draco smirked. "Usually, I'd go over there and join them. You know, captivate them with rumours of your supposed adventures. But I decided that I'd rather hear it from the horse's mouth." 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "You are too much like your father, you know that? Always meddling in things that really aren't any of your business to begin with. I suppose the saying is true. 'The apple _doesn't_ fall far from the tree.'" She bookmarked her book again, realising that she wasn't going to get any peace while still in the common room. 

Draco seemed to take that as an extreme compliment. "Why, thank you." 

"That wasn't a compliment, you dolt. I don't like your father in the least. He's a completely dispicable man. But somehow, I can't seem to gather enough strength to get rid of the bloke either. It's strange." 

Draco snarled. "You obviously hardly know my father!" 

Hotaru's eyes didn't even flash with temper. Draco would most likely be very mild compared to an upset Lucius. "I've known your father for my entire life. Of course, he's never told you about me. I wouldn't expect him to. But he's told me all about you--how unforgiveably loud-mouthed you are. You might as well tell the entire world what your father is. Lord knows you've told at least half of the school. Bragging about it like it's something to boast of.... You sicken me." That being said, Hotaru grabbed her book and walked out of the room with a smile on her face. _You're welcome, Narcissa-chan._

Draco and Blaise just stared after her. "What does she know anyway?" asked Draco, fuming. "I'll bet she just made everything up." 

Blaise raised his eyebrows. "She's right, Draco. You do go around boasting of your father. Maybe you should try _not_ telling everyone the intimate details of your life, hm?" 

Draco glared and grumbled something unintelligible. 

"What was that?" 

"Nothing." 

Blaise chuckled lightly before getting up, patting Draco on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and retreating to his dormitory. 

- 

Hermione let out a sigh that always alerted Ron and Harry to her thinking on something extra hard. 

Harry looked up from the chessboard. "What?" he asked before she had to do it again to get their attention. 

Hermione put down her book and cradled her chin in the palm of one hand, resting on the arm of the chair. "I find it rather peculiar that Tomoe attacked us indirectly before she even knew who we were. How did she know that I was a-a...Mudblood?" she asked, the name tasting bad in her mouth. "I mean, it's not as if my name gave it away. There could be a wizarding family with the surname of 'Granger' somewhere in the world. And I don't think the word 'Muggle-born' is written on my forehead with a permanent marker." 

Harry shrugged. "Maybe one of the other Slytherins told her." 

"Perhaps. However, there's another thing that bothers me. Why did she go out of her way just to tell you that your friend-choosing habits aren't very good? She could've gone up to any other Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff and done the same. But she chose you." 

Ron sighed. "Well he is Harry Potter, after all. And who knows? Maybe she's got a long-standing friendship with Draco Malfoy and she's just been itching to have a few words with our Harry? Give it a rest, Hermione." 

"All right, but I have a final question." 

Harry and Ron both looked at Hermione, curious but all the same frustrated. "Yes?" they asked in unison. 

"Didn't it seem to you as if Professor Kino and Tomoe knew each other?" 

- 

Makoto Kino stood in front of a door that led to the Potions classroom. She seemed to think upon something before deciding to finally knock on the door. It wasn't very confident, however, and almost hesitant. 

"Who is it?" drawled the Potions Master. 

"Makoto Kino," replied the Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor. 

"Come in." 

Makoto walked in and was immediately hit with a strong scent of Veritaserum. "Veritaserum? What for?" 

Snape looked up from his potion, regarded her with a hard stare, and looked back down at his work. "That isn't any of your business, Ms. Kino. Now what is it that you want? It had better be damned important. I'm very busy." 

Makoto nodded and walked over to the side of the table opposite to him. "It's about the new transfer student, Hotaru Tomoe. I was wondering if you sensed something amiss with her...or if you perhaps know anything about her...know her even?" 

"What would make you think that I _would_ know anything about her, Ms. Kino?" he asked carefully. 

Makoto shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. But did you notice something a little off about her?" 

Snape sighed in frustration, realising quickly that he wasn't going to be able to complete his work at that moment. He put down his quill and looked at her. "As a matter of fact, she did set off a few red flags. Why is it important? A lot of students in this school set off red flags in my mind...like Potter for example." 

"Oh yeah, Harry Potter's a _real_ bad egg..." Makoto said sarcastically, in which Snape sneered in reply. "Anyway, I just wanted to confer with you. She is in your house after all. Could you do me a favour, though? Could you keep your ears and eyes open for anything unusual that has anything to do with her? I'd greatly appreciate it." 

Snape narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And why is this so important to you?" 

Makoto remained silent for a moment. "Because...well, not to sound like Trelawny or anything, but the air around her has a very negative charge...she means nothing but trouble. And don't you dare laugh at me. I'm dead serious." She met eyes with the Potions Master for a quick moment before walking off. 

However, before she got out the door, Snape said: "You almost speak as if you know her." 

Makoto walked out, shut the door, closed her eyes, and sighed. "I thought I did," she whispered. 

TBC... 

Author's Note: Wow! I'm done with chapter two! This is exciting. Okay, how do you like it so far? I've decided to make it Harry/Hotaru, Ron/Hermione, and Draco/Blaise. If you don't like slash, I'm really sorry. But since the slash isn't going to be very graphic at all (maybe as far as a kiss--nothing purely sexual), I hope you don't stop reading!!! Yay! Mako-chan's the DADA professor! I _was_ going to make it Haruka...but I decided to make it Makoto...just to give Mako and Hotaru some interaction. I like them being great friends. And just a quick question: **What would you say if I mixed a little Snape/Mako in here?** So, enough of me talking...typing...whatever... Please review! But be nice! No flames...even though that'd keep me from a day off of school tomorrow...it's supposed to snow. I hope it doesn't. I have two exams to take tomorrow. Hahaha, I bet you're thinking I'm a psycho. The only reason I don't want tomorrow off is because if I didn't have it off, then I'd have Tuesday and Wednesday off (Tuesday with my sister but Wednesday without because only the highschool gets out). However, if I have Monday off, I have to go in Tuesday and I don't get my "alone-time" on Wednesday. And then I have to go to school Thursday. Damn snow. 

Review! 

-Deirdre Blair 


	3. Things Are Never What They Seem

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Harry Potter. Sailor Moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko and Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. There, said it, now leave me alone. 

Summary: With everyone suspecting her, how will Hotaru ever get around to gaining Harry's trust? Plus, when Hotaru nearly kills Harry, the suspicion becomes even greater. But what does Harry think? 

Author's Note: Taking a break from my Aggressive Inline video game to write this chapter. I hope nobody is upset about the slash...really, it's very mild. And if you don't like it, you can actually just skip over it. It's not like it's a vital part of this story. I just wanted to put it in here because I think it'd be cute. Heh...to me, anyway. Um, so yeah. Hope you like it and all. Any questions, just review or email me and I'll try to get back to you as quickly as possible. 

**Melody's Song**: Blaise Zabini is a character that was mentioned only once (or was it a few times?) in the HP books, but never given a gender. I made Blaise a boy because I like him being male. But his lack of gender has caused him to be quite a popular boy/girl/it in HP fandom. The most information anybody (except for the all-knowing J.K. Rowling) really knows about him is that he is in Slytherin, same age as Harry, and named Blaise Zabini. 

Rating: PG13 

Pairing: Harry/Hotaru, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Blaise 

Genre: Drama/Romance 

Warning: **Male/Male SLASH**

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter Three  
Things Are Never What They Seem**

_Previously on **Tragic Angel**: _

~Hotaru found a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with little difficulty. She sat in the empty area and examined her dark, mahogany wand. "Ten inches, mahogany, Augurey feather, blessed in Re'em blood. Custom made. A rare combination indeed."~ 

~"SLYTHERIN!!!" the Hat shouted for a reply.~ 

~Hotaru's eyes didn't even wander towards Hermione or Ron, but kept locked with Harry's. "Charmed," she murmured. "And you're a Gryffindor, no less. Can't say that I'm at all surprised." 

"Have you been living under a rock or something? Everyone knows that Harry is a Gryffindor!" Ron said, exasperated.~ 

~"Everyone, I'd like to welcome Ms. Makoto Kino from Japan."~ 

~However, before she got out the door, Snape said: "You almost speak as if you know her." 

Makoto walked out, shut the door, closed her eyes, and sighed. "I thought I did," she whispered.~ 

- 

The schedules that determined the order in which the students' classes would be taken were passed out the next morning by the Prefects. Hotaru scanned her schedule, her eyebrow rising every so often. _Defence Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor, Mythology while everyone else is taking Herbology, and a double period of Advanced Potions for today. It looks as if they've placed me in double periods of Advanced Potions for five out of six school days. Interesting. When the Dark Lord said this subject took a lot of work, he wasn't joking._

"So? How many classes do you have with Potter?" 

Hotaru peered over her schedule card and met with inquiring sapphire orbs. "Why so interested? You've been curious about my business for as long as I have been here." 

"It's my obligation to assist you in any way that I can. I don't want you feeling left out," he replied, once again speaking cryptically. 

_He's smart, I'll hand him that._ "All right, Zabini, I'll tell you. I have exactly five out of nine classes with him. Not that it should interest you at all," she answered. 

Blaise nodded. "Good. I was beginning to think your chances of making friends with Potter were hopeless. This brings light into the situation." 

Hotaru smirked. "For your information, Zabini, I have a fool-proof plan to become friends with him." 

"Does it include high-heeled boots and a leather whip?" Blaise asked, sounding very much amused with himself. "I always heard Potter was a kinky one." 

Hotaru wrinkled her nose in disgust, balled up a paper napkin, and threw it directly at the sniggering Zabini. "_No_," she replied. "It was nothing to do with high-heeled boots and leather whips." 

"What about feather boas and handcuffs?" 

"_Zabini_!" Hotaru cried in a scandalised tone. 

Zabini threw his hands up in mock surrender. "All right, all right. What's your fool-proof plan?" 

Hotaru bit into her toast, swallowed, and glared. "Like I'm going to tell you. Leather whips and feather boas...honestly..." 

"I was just kidding, Tomoe. Tell me." 

"No." 

"Tomoe, I'm supposed to be helping you, remember?" 

"Good morning, lovebirds," drawled a tired voice. 

Hotaru and Blaise's heads snapped up and they both cried their response at the same time. 

"What are you talking about?!" 

"Draco, you know very well that I don't like g--." Blaise abruptly shut his mouth as several students, including Draco and Hotaru, cast him curious stares. "--_her_ in _that_ way." 

Hotaru narrowed her eyes as Draco surpressed internal laughter. "Really, Blaise?" he chuckled. 

This time, Blaise threw a paper napkin at Draco, an apparent scowl on his own face. 

Draco caught it, with the deft ease only a Seeker could have, but with very little vigour. 

"Why so enthusiastic? I'm beginning to worry," Hotaru asked sarcastically. 

Draco fell onto his chair, grabbing a full pot of coffee and a coffee mug. With delicate precision and utmost attention, he poured it. When it was full, he emptied sugar into it, stirred, muttered a spell to cool it, and drank it with such tranquility, it made you want to whisper in front of him. 

However, Blaise took a spoon and tapped Draco insistently on the head with it, repeatedly. Blaise had already ventured onto that side of the table. 

Draco scowled, but continued to drink. 

Blaise, while continuing to tap Draco on his head, said in almost an alluring voice: "Draaaacoooo... Oh, Draaaacoooo..." 

Draco set his now-empty coffee mug down on the table. He exhaled a noisy sigh, then abruptly turned to Blaise. "What is it?!" 

Hotaru watched this exchange with much amusement. 

Blaise flashed him a daring grin. "Potter is staring this way. I believe he's staring at _you_." 

Draco groaned and sent a menacing glare towards Harry. Harry looked away with a blush creeping up his cheeks. "No, I think he was staring at Tomoe." A smirk slowly spread across Draco's features. "Oh, does Potter have a little crush on Tomoe? What do you think, Blaise? Might they be doing some kinky things in the Astronomy Tower late at nights? Leather whips, feather boas, handcuffs, ropes? Hm?" 

Hotaru glared, obviously unamused. "Malfoy, you sick pervert, you know that's not true--nor is it my intention! I loathe Potter. But my mission is quite clear. Or does your father not trust you enough to keep your obscenely large mouth shut---thus you know nothing of my purpose?" And as an after-thought, she added, "And what is it with you two and kinky sex games?" 

Draco fumed. "You're wrong." Hotaru's eyebrows lifted. Draco took the pose of one indignified by something, yet not willing to let it show. "My mouth isn't obscenely large. It's perfectly preportioned." 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Class is about to start. Defence Against the Dark Arts, first." 

"Ugh, and with Gryffindor no less," Draco complained as they gathered their books and left. 

Hotaru smirked. "Oh, I don't know...I think it works out for the better." 

Blaise grimaced. "You would." 

- 

Makoto let out a sigh of nerves as she stared at the empty classroom in front of her. She had already arranged the books and gadgets on her desk at least one hundred times that morning. She was never very good at speaking in public. It came from a bad childhood of being picked on and a reputation for a bad attitude--thus, she didn't make friends easily. What made it worse, was that Hotaru was in her first class. How that girl was going to act, she didn't know. It seemed as if she had developed an entirely new persona since she had ventured onto a path of difference. 

Makoto was sure that her path wasn't good. She had to help her somehow. This was the only way she could see to do it. Luckily, she also brought along a friend Hotaru would recognise as well--Setsuna. Setsuna was teaching Mythology in place of Professor Sinistra (who also taught Astronomy). Setsuna wasn't announced due to the fact that Sinistra had retired from that position earlier that morning. Setsuna arrived seconds after. Makoto was very thankful. If anyone could help Hotaru, it would be Setsuna. 

The sounding of her beeping communicator watch startled Makoto from her thoughts. She shook her head and answered it with a smile. "Hello there, Usagi-chan." 

Usagi's bright and beaming face appeared on the screen almost immediately. "Hello, Mako-chan! Has your class started yet?" 

Makoto shook her head. "No, it will in about ten minutes, though. I'm nervous. I've never been this nervous before." 

Usagi flashed her an inspiring grin. "Don't worry, Mako-chan. You'll be great. Just don't let them push you around." Usagi laughed, knowing that nobody pushed Mako-chan around. "You have the support of the team back in Tokyo!" 

Makoto nodded. "Thanks, Usagi-chan. How's the kingdom? Has anything..._changed_?" 

Usagi's face slowly melted into a very serious one. She let out a sigh. "No. Nothing. If anything, the conditions have gotten worse. More people are dying, we can't find the enemy's hideout. But Setsuna's been able to tell us who we're dealing with. Unfortunately, the ginzuishou isn't going to be enough to save anyone at this point. The enemy has grown _so_ strong. We're worn out...all of us. Rei's been locked up in her room, doing constant fire-readings and dream interpretations. Ami's been locked up in the computer room, researching and researching. Minako's constantly taking care of Chibi-usa, who's been having terrible nightmares. Meanwhile, Mamo-chan, Haruka, Michiru, and I are out there, fighting the demons. But more keep coming. It doesn't matter how many we kill. More always come." Usagi began to sob with exhaustion. "We need Hotaru. Setsuna said so. She said Saturn had an internal fighting mechanism that was placed in her, and only her, that could be unleashed and could destroy _anything_. We don't know how to trigger it, but the first step is _getting her back_. Please, Mako-chan...." 

Makoto felt tears surfacing in her own eyes, but she held them back. She was going to be strong for her princess. "Usagi-chan, I'll do the best I can. But Hotaru's leading a very different life here. She's working for the other side now. Or at least, I think she is. I can't be sure. She's working for Voldemort, the strongest enemy here. From what Snape told me this morning before breakfast, she's the Dark Lord's pet. She feels a strong sense of loyalty to both him and Lucius Malfoy. She's very good friends with Narcissa Malfoy. And she's making friends with Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. She looks as if she fits in here. I don't know what's going on." 

"I know, Hotaru's not like that. She's not evil." 

"No, she's not. Or at least, the Hotaru _we_ knew wasn't. But she's changed, Usagi-chan. You can see it in her eyes. Something about her has changed. It might be too late to bring her back. She might be turned for good." 

"No! Don't say that! Hotaru's not evil! She can't be!" Usagi cried into the watch. 

"I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. I have to go. People are coming in." 

Usagi was cut off in mid "MAKOTO!" as Makoto pressed the green button on her watch. She looked up, smoothed herself over, and watched the students enter the room. The first students to enter were Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Closely followed by them were Hotaru, Draco, and Blaise. 

Hotaru and Makoto locked eyes for a quick second, before Hotaru sat down beside Blaise, who was beside Draco. Within seconds, the entire classroom was full and the bell rang to signal the beginning of class. 

"Good morning, class. I'm Professor Makoto Kino." 

Many of the guys stared at her, blushes on their faces. Draco drew a smirk. Makoto was very beautiful, so this reaction was to be expected. At least she had their attention. 

"Well, first we'll start with roll call. Then I'll give you an overview on what we are going to be discussing in this class during the next year. And, I have arranged a seating chart. Everyone stand." The class did so. "Now, I have the seats on this piece of paper up here. Come on up and then go to your respected seat." 

The students came up, and then went back to the desks, where a new person sat in each seat. Draco Malfoy sat beside Blaise Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle sat behind them. Lavender Brown, looking just a bit intimidated, sat on the other side of Blaise. However, it was well-noted that Blaise wasn't paying the least of attention to her, but to Draco. Parvati Patil sat behind Lavender, beside Crabbe and Goyle. Ron and Hermione sat together, with Pansy Parkinson on the other side of Ron. Hotaru sat next to Harry, behind Ron, Hermione, and Pansy. Neville Longbottom sat next on the other side of Harry. Dean Thomas sat next to Seamus Finnigan, with Millicent Bulstrode next to him as well. Tracey Davis sat next to Daphne Greengrass, who in turn sat next to Theodore Nott. 

Makoto silently checked off who was there and who wasn't. Everyone was there. With a small smile, she went to the front of her desk, leaned against, it and crossed her arms over her chest--and defensive manuvere. "Weclome to your sixth year of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Now, I know some of you may be thinking that just because I'm the new teacher, that means you can try to trick me into signing passes that aren't supposed to be signed, and generally disobeying every rule set out. Well, you're sadly mistaken. I have read, and reread the rule book, and I know every rule by heart. I have made friends with most of the other teachers here, so don't think you can turn them against me." The class stared at her. "All right! Let's go over what we're doing this year. First off, and starting today, we'll be studying how to detect deceit. It may not seem important right now, but as you progress later in life, it'll come to your advantage." 

With Makoto's fixed stare on him, Harry knew she was talking about him. But when her eyes flickered to Hotaru, whose own eyes were narrowed, he became a little confused. He saw Hotaru absently toy with a white-gold ring on her finger. 

"Then, we'll work our way into learning many new spells that have only been recently discovered. That's basically what we're doing throughout the whole school year." 

Hotaru raised her hand. 

"Yes, Ms. Tomoe?" 

"It looks to me as if you're subtly preparing us for an all out war," Hotaru said coolly and frankly. "What of those of us who don't _want_ to fight for your cause?" 

Makoto fought back the urge to cry out at her and knock sense into the firefly. "Well, Ms. Tomoe," Makoto said evenly, though it took all of her strength. "If you want to pass this class, you will learn these spells. As for the 'all out war', you should all be well aware that the war _is_ coming. If you haven't figured that out, you know now. For those of you who _don't_ want to fight for retaining our way of life, then you don't have to. Nobody will force you." 

"Correction, Ms. Kino," Draco spoke up. "It's _your_ way of life. It was ours before you let all of the Mudbloods in." He sneered at the name. 

The Gryffindor boys stood up, shouting at him. Hotaru sent a brief glare at Draco before standing up from her seat, met Harry's eyes, turned, and stood beside Draco, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, Millicent, Theo, Tracey, and Daphne. 

"Draco Malfoy! I _never_ want to hear those words out of your mouth again. If I do, you will get an automatic detention." 

Hotaru crossed her arms, and stood closer to Draco. "Well, he's right, you know. If we never let them into our world to begin with, then we'd all live in peace. There'd be no war." 

Makoto fumed, her chest rising and falling with heavy intakes and outtakes. "Ms. Tomoe, I'd like to see you outside for a moment." 

Hotaru shrugged, cast a brief unreadable glance towards Draco and Blaise, and walked out of the room with Makoto. 

Before Makoto shut the doors, she looked in on the class. "If I hear or even _sense_ someone doing magic in here while I'm out, I'll make sure you're at least suspended, if not expelled." She shut the doors with a resounding slam. 

Makoto met Hotaru's uncaring stare. "Hotaru, what do you think you're doing? In case you've forgotten, this wasn't your world to begin with. _Your_ world is behind mine." 

Hotaru smirked, somewhat amused. "It's my world now." 

Makoto leaned against the wall. "You cannot honestly tell me that you believe all of that you just said. I know you, Hotaru. You'd never think like that about anyone." 

Hotaru's face changed into a very serious, distant one. "Things've changed, Makoto. _I've_ changed. I'm not the same Hotaru Tomoe anymore. I don't fight for truth, peace, and justice. I fight for--." 

"For what, Hotaru? Total dictatorship of a psychotic, murderous man who will end up betraying you?" 

Hotaru's eyes narrowed once more. "And what makes you think I'm fighting _for_ him?" Makoto blinked. In a very, very low voice, Hotaru said, "I'd make sure all of my facts are straight before I start shouting out accusations." 

When Hotaru went to enter the classroom again, Makoto grabbed her wrist. "What are you fighting for then, Hotaru? In case you haven't sensed it, there's a crisis in Tokyo that needs your help. Specifically your help." 

"I have sensed it," Hotaru responded in a cold voice. She met Makoto's eyes again. "But I'm tired of that life. I want a new one." 

"We all do, Hotaru. But we can't always have what we want." 

"You don't understand, Makoto. You never will. Now let me go," Hotaru jerked her wrist out of Makoto's grasp. "You have a class to teach. And I don't think Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are going to just glare at each other for too long." Hotaru entered the classroom, and sat in her seat. 

Makoto stared at her, her lip trembling. She pulled herself together, however, and reentered the classroom. "All right, the bell will ring in about forty-five minutes. Until then, I want you to partner up with someone in this room and practise the hexes you know. If you know how to do them, which is _illegal_, then restrain yourself from using the Unforgiveable Curses. I'll be monitering all of the activity. If I see any one of you intentionally step out of line, I'll punish you." 

Hotaru nearly felt like beaming. Makoto was, for some reason, making it easier for her to make friends with Harry so that she could betray him in the end. Before Harry could ask Neville to be partners with him, Hotaru tapped him on the shoulder. 

Harry felt like crying. 

"Hey, Potter. Why don't we be partners?" 

Harry turned around and glared at her. "Why would I want to be partners with _you_?" he asked, with nearly as much venom as he would have spoken with Draco Malfoy. 

Hotaru smirked and spoke in a language very familiar to Harry's ears: "_We would make great friends, you and I. Besides, do you think that Neville Longbottom would challenge you the way I would? You hardly know me, and yet you already pass judgement. Typical._" 

Even though it was in a quiet whisper, Harry heard every word. His eyes were wide. His mouth, open. "Y-you can speak Parseltongue?" 

"It's one of my many talents." 

Harry was speechless. Hotaru sighed, shrugged, and turned. "I suppose I could just always go partner up with Neville and turn him into a disease-spreading toad." 

"Wait! I'll be your partner." 

Hotaru smirked, and turned back around. "Splendid." She brought out her wand. "Now, I don't want you going easy on me just because I'm a girl. Hit me with all that you've got. Even an Unforgiveable Curse, although that's not legal." 

Harry, stone-faced yet still very surprised, nodded and took out his own wand. They stood facing each other and locked gazes. "Ladies, first." 

"You bet." 

They circled each other for a moment before Hotaru surprised him with a Bat-Bogey Hex. 

Harry deflected it with a shielding charm and shouted, "_Conjunctivitis!_" 

Hotaru decided to let the hex hit her, and slowly, her vision deteriorated until all she could see was darkness. She closed her eyes. _Funny charm that this is... How juvenile._ She raised her wand and her eyes flew open, staring Harry directly in the eyes. Harry stumbled back. "_Rictusempra!_" she cried, knowing her own hex was pitiful. But it did its job enough so that Hotaru could repair her vision. When she could see again, she relentlessly cast another hex. "_Aerisevacuo!_" 

Harry's eyes widened again when he couldn't no longer breathe. He tried gasping for air, but it was no use. He grabbed his throat, and fell to his knees. 

"HOTARU, NO!" Makoto cried, knowing which spell she had used. 

Hotaru only stared at Harry with a sort of amused curiosity. Everyone gathered around them, Draco cheering Hotaru on. She paid no attention. Harry managed to say, "What did you do to me?" in a few words. 

"_Relax, Potter. I know you've never heard of this spell. But you now probably know what it does. It suffocates you until you are dead or passed out,_" she said in Parseltongue. 

"H-how do I stop it?" 

"_As I said before, relax. Panicking only makes it worse. Finite Incantatum will only work if I give the command. Which I won't. Think, Potter. If this spell cuts off your oxygen, making your lungs _empty_, think of a spell that may bring it back._" While saying this, Hotaru's face remained impassive, as if she were cold to the dying boy in front of her. 

Harry relaxed, and tried to think before he could no longer hold his breath. 

"Hermione, do something!" Ron cried. 

Hermione shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I-I can't. Harry has to do this on his own. My spell won't do anything, it'll change nothing." 

Harry fell fully onto the floor, unable to hold himself up much longer. He weakly grabbed his wand, pointed at his mouth, and managed to whisper, "_Aerisimpleo!_" Immediately, he was able to breathe again. 

"Well done," Hotaru congratulated, fighting off a smirk. 

Harry, gasping, rose to his feet, glaring at Hotaru. He didn't know if he hated her for what she did. After all, it taught him a very good lesson. Still, he thought it pretty appropriate to cast a particularly nasty hex at her. "_Furnunculus!_" 

Hotaru shielded herself just in time. She had been prepared for that. "_If all you know are stupid hexes like that, you stand no chance against Voldemort,_" Hotaru spat in Parseltongue. The bell rang, signalling the end of class. 

Harry walked out with Hermione and Ron. They were making sure he was okay. "Blimey, Harry! Where'd you learn that spell?" 

Harry looked at Ron, his eyes going wide. He drew a blank. "I don't know." Where had he learned that spell? They didn't teach it in Hogwarts, that he knew of. He didn't even think they taught it to Advanced seventh years. 

"Yeah, I was wondering too. I never heard of that spell, Harry," Hermione informed. "The one I thought of to use was Finite Incantatum." 

Harry shook his head. "She told me Finite Incantatum would only work if she cast it. Oh, and she can speak Parseltongue." 

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "I knew it!" Ron exclaimed. "She was speakly really, really softly, and I thought that was why I couldn't understand what she was saying. But she was speaking Parseltongue." 

"Well, I'm just glad you're all right, Harry. Even if I've never heard of that spell before," Hermione replied. "I've never seen Aerisevacuo in action before. I've read about it. Does it really empty out your lungs?" 

Harry nodded. "Damn fast, too." 

- 

Hotaru found out that Harry, Hermione, and Ron were taking Mythology, too. It made sense, as Mythology was offered in replacement of one other class to sixth years and seventh years. She kept a smooth pace towards the Mythology classroom, knowing the Terrible Trio was behind her, muttering about the duel earlier. She listened keenly, boredom otherwise consuming her. 

"It's just so...strange. She seems to hate you for no particular reason, Harry. Maybe you should talk to Dumbledore about it," Hermione suggested. 

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't think she hates me. At least...I half don't think she does. What she did in there earlier...it was as if she was preparing me for something much worse. She even commented that I was never going to defeat Voldemort if I kept using the weak spells I have been." 

"What?" asked Ron. 

"Yeah, it's true. I don't understand it. There's something about her that I can't put my finger on. Somehow, I don't think she's as bad as she tries to be." 

"You're so naive, Harry," Hermione sighed. She didn't mean it in a cruel way. 

Harry didn't seem to take offence. "Maybe I am." 

Hotaru smirked. It was working. All working according to plan. Now all she had to do was put the next plan into action. She was going to--what? Setsuna? Hotaru stopped in her tracks when she entered the classroom and noticed Setsuna Meiou standing before the desk. Setsuna locked eyes with her, a knowing expression on her face. 

Hotaru fought the impulse to run up and embrace Setsuna. Her old self would do so, whenever Setsuna got a break from guarding the Time Gates. Hotaru looked away and went to her seat. So they were _all_ ganging up on her? What was next? Usagi teaching Advanced Potions? Hotaru nearly laughed. 

Hermione, Harry, and Ron walked into the classroom shortly after, seating themselves on the opposite side of where Hotaru was sitting. This way, they were all looking at her, she was looking at them. Hotaru didn't seem too focused on that, however. 

Hotaru took out her parchment, ink, and quill. She also took out the textbook for this class, _Exlporing Dvinity: A Guide to Mythology_. 

When the bell rang, Hotaru looked around to see that many others from different houses were seated in the classroom. There were a few Hufflepuffs of whom she didn't recognise, there were five Slytherins (Millicent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis, and three seventh years named Xavier Denton, Loki Hudson, and Sam Paris), seven Ravenclaws (two of which she recognised from Death Eater parentage: Su Li and Stephen Cornfoot), and five Gryffindors (Ron, Hermione, Harry, Lavender, and Parvati). Loki and Millicent sat on either side of her. 

"Before we begin, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Professor Setsuna Meiou. I took the place of Professor Sinistra in this class due to the fact that she resigned herself to do only Astronomy from now on," Setsuna's voice was calm, and she didn't look at all nervous. It was the same as Hotaru always remembered it. Setsuna never showed fear. "First, I'd like to take roll call. When I call out your name, please raise your hand or shout your attendance." 

The class remained silent. 

"Terry Boot." 

"Here." 

"Mandy Brocklehurst." 

"Here." 

"Lavender Brown." 

"Oh, here." 

"Millicent Bulstrode." 

"Here." 

"Stephen Cornfoot." 

He raised his hand. 

"Tracey Davis." 

Sigh. "Here." 

"Xavier Denton." 

"I'm here." 

"Hermione Granger." 

"Here." 

"Loki Hudson." 

"That's me." 

"Su Li." 

"Here." 

"Morag MacDougal." 

She raised her hand. 

"Samuel Paris." 

"It's Sam." 

Setsuna scribbled that down in her notebook. "Padma Patil." 

"I'm here." 

"Parvati Patil." 

"Me too." 

"Harry Potter." 

Harry was shocked she didn't say his name with a little more enthusiasm. "Um, here." 

"Hotaru Tomoe." 

"Hai," she spoke in her native tongue. She smirked when Setsuna didn't pause. Always the same. 

"Lisa Turpin." 

She raised her hand. 

"And Ronald Weasley." 

"It's Ron." 

"All right," Setsuns said, making a note. "That's everyone." She set her notebook down, then faced the class. "I'd like to welcome you all to your first year of Mythology. For those of you who are in your sixth year, I hope you like this class enough to take Advanced Mythology next year. For those of you who are in your seventh year, it is possible to take Advanced Mythology, but it'd have to be as an apprentice with a scholar. However, I am almost positive you'll enjoy this class. This year od Mythology deals with a long time spent on Greek and Roman Mythology, as well as an overview of Norse Mythology. We'll also be studying Japanese, Chinese, and Aztec myth." 

Hotaru raised her hand. 

"Yes, Ms. Tomoe?" asked Setsuna, part of her already knowing the question and answer. 

"When will we be studying Astrological myth?" 

"Next year," Setsuna replied. 

Hotaru nodded, a smirk spreading on her features. She knew that this would baffle some students into asking questions, thus Setsuna would have to explain it. 

Sure enough, it was Lavender Brown who raised her hand next. "What's Astrological myth?" 

Setsuna sighed, leaning against her desk. "The myth that Ms. Tomoe had previously asked about is the most ancient type of myth, except for perhaps Greek and Roman. Or, as I should say, it's _recording_ is just about as old as Greek and Roman myth. But in fact, those three myths have been circling each other for ages, even beyond the creation of the universe." 

"Can't you tell us a little bit about it? Maybe it will inspire me to go to Advanced Mythology," Parvati bargained. 

Setsuna forced a smile. "I suppose. As with Greek and Roman mythology, Astrological mythology had gods as well. Only, all of these gods were female, or just goddesses. However, there is one male god. They were the daugthers--and son--of the Greek and Roman gods. The most is known about the ones of this solar system. There is Chiba, the ruler of the sun and of Earth. There is Mizuno, the ruler of Mercury. Hino, the ruler of Mars. Tsukino, the ruler of our moon. Kino, the ruler of Jupiter. Tomoe, the ruler of Saturn. Tenou, the ruler of Uranus. Kaiou, the ruler of Neptune. And Meiou, the ruler of Pluto." 

"Wait!" Ron cried. "You're named Meiou, that Slytherin over there is Tomoe, and we have a Ms. Kino at this school. Are you telling me you're the goddesses of these worlds?" 

"As usual, you git, you're shooting off at the mouth with nonsense," Hotaru sighed, loud enough for everyone to hear. Setsuna's head jerked up and she stared at her. Hotaru continued before Ron could defend himself. "I am a direct descendent of the Temple Guardian, Aiko Tomoe--originally Aiko Matsushita. The Temple Guardians would take the name of their Goddess or God and then use it as a last name. The way the two would be told apart is by putting "-kami" at the end of the name. For instance: Aiko Tomoe is the Temple Guardian while Tomoe-kami is the Goddess of Saturn. Do you understand now?" 

Ron glared at her. "Yes, perfectly. But why are all of the names Japanese?" 

Hotaru shrugged. "There's a simple answer for that, Weasley. The original Japanese language did not exist until a long time after the Goddesses and Gods were named. The Japanese were the most firm believers in this myth, therefore they held temples around the world. But it isn't recorded Muggle history because the text and evidence of their existance isn't able to be seen by people who do not have magic circulating through their veins. All in all, the Japanese Guardians have kept this name throughout history, even those who aren't guardians have it. The temples are in ruins now, however. And they definitely cannot be seen by those without magic." 

Setsuna narrowed her eyes. "Last time I checked, Ms. Tomoe, I was the teacher here." 

Hotaru shrugged. "Sorry. I got carried away." 

Setsuna shook her head. "All right, let's get out our textbooks and turn to the section on Greek Mythology, chapter one. We'll be studying this for about two months. Then we'll move onto Roman mythology for two monthes. Japanese mythology will be studied for a month and a half. Norse mythology will be overviewed for half of a month. Chinese myth will be taught for two months, and then we'll end with two months of Aztec myth." 

When everyone turned in their books to the first section, Setsuna told Hermione to read first. This section was on the development of the Greek culture. Then, it would take everyone into the mythology. 

Setsuna was rather surprised by the lack of disturbance from Hotaru. Except for calling Ron a git, she remained civil to everyone. When the class was over, Setsuna wanted to hug Hotaru. She wanted her little girl to come home. But she knew this was impossible. The bell rang and everyone got up. 

Xavier Denton, who was a rather handsome young boy with spiked black hair and hazel eyes, walked up to Hotaru. He put two hands on her shoulders, her back facing him, and bent down towards her right ear. "Loki put a letter from him under your pillow," he whispered very quietly. 

Hotaru turned around, smirking, and placed a hand on his face. She cupped his jaw. "I'll see," she purred as if he had asked her out for a date. 

Xavier, knowing the routine, smiled softly and took her hand. He kissed it soflty before walking out of the room. Hotaru closed her eyes as if a teenager in love and walked out as well. Hopefully, the whole scene would look as if a young romance was blossoming. 

Hotaru had gone over this earlier that morning with all of the Death Eater children--namely the Slytherins. If it were a boy, they would look as if they were coming onto her. Girls would look as if they were whispering gossip about either a new boyfriend, or a very cute guy. Hotaru would play her part as well. It was decided that only Xavier, Draco, and Sam would play as if coming onto her, as it was regular behaviour for them. And only Pansy, Loki, and Tracey would play as if gossiping, as it was their regular behaviour as well. 

Hotaru walked out of the classroom, giving Setsuna a look that wasn't really nice, but not unfriendly either. She walked into the Great Hall with Tracey at her side. Tracey was blabbering on about nonsense, as usual. Hotaru was relieved when she made it to the Slytherin table. 

She found Blaise sitting across from Draco, helping himself to his lunch. Crabbe and Goyle sat on either side of Draco, and Pansy sat on one side of Blaise. Hotaru took the other side. She had grown a liking to Blaise, even though he was sometimes annoying. It seemed as if he were one of the smarter Slytherins at that table. 

"How did Mythology go?" he asked her casually. 

"Uneventful. I didn't get a chance to interact with Potter, although I did get to call Weasley a git. Other than that, it was basic learning." 

Blaise shrugged. "That's to be expected. You can't have just come all the way here to make friends with Potter, right?" 

Hotaru nodded. "That was the sole reason, yes. But my guardian said that I needed to interact with children my age--instead of hanging out with men old enough to be my father." 

Blaise grimaced. "Why would you even _want_ to do that?" 

Hotaru giggled without meaning to. "Hey, sometimes hanging out with 'grown-ups' isn't so bad. You can learn a lot from them." 

"Ugh," groaned Draco. "Now you're sounding like that Mudblood, Granger." 

Hotaru shrugged. "It's the truth. Anyway, what do you two have next? I have Advanced Potions." 

"So do we," said Blaise. "A double period of it." 

"Yeah," Hotaru said. "What luck. I know Snape. He's...interesting. There are some things about him, though, that I have a hard time believing." 

"Such as?" Draco inquired, eager to hear about his favourite professor. 

Hotaru shook her head and put a hand up. "It's nothing. Very, very unimportant details that need not be discussed in a room with so much food." 

Blaise and Draco exchanged glances, getting what she meant. They both shuddered at the same time. 

Hotaru smirked. _Good, they believed that. I really shouldn't be discussing Snape being a spy in front of two people who could ruin him completely._

TBC... 

Author's Note: *gasp* Hotaru knows Snape's a spy. Will this be the end of Professor Snape? Heh...not likely. This chapter was pretty...okay. I don't know if I like it as much as the others. But, things will happen, my dears. Don't you worry about that. Things _will_ happen. As for the possible Snape/Makoto, I've decided to just make them flirt without anything really happening. Too much going on for them to be snogging in corners. Besides, Snape's a little old for Makoto. Now, back to playing my Aggressive Inline game... Please review! (P.S. Can you believe there are roughly 6260 words in this document? I've never written so much in one chapter!) 

-Deirdre Blair


	4. Quicksand

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: Well, you know for a fact that I don't own Sailor Moon. It was created and is owned by Naoko Takeuchi, who is Japanese. I'm not Japanese. Though I wish I were. And if I owned Harry Potter, I'd be going insane, writing the sixth book. That's owned by J.K. Rowling. She's English, I'm not. I wish I were. I wish I were a Japanese/English person who lives in England and Japan. But I'm not. Well, I have English history...but my background's all European and not a single scrap of Asian. See my dilemma? So, could you please call off your lawyers? 

Summary: Hotaru just keeps sinking into the quicksand of her new life. Was it really worth it? Maybe she should go back. Hell no, she came here and she's going to finish what she started. And for her sake, you better hope that Harry's the people-saver everyone makes him out to be. 

Author's Note: Whew! Fourth chapter. These chapters are turning out to be very long. I usually don't write such long chapters. Heh, but that's a good thing, right? Anyway, I really appreciate that you guys are taking the time to review! Especially Damia--wow! That was some review. It makes me feel special to know that someone analysed my entire story thus far. And I can't tell you if you're right or wrong...or that would be a plot give-away. Right? Maybe, maybe not. But I can keep a secret. 

Rating: PG13 

Pairing: Harry/Hotaru, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Blaise 

Genre: Drama/Romance 

Warning: Male/Male slash between Draco and Blaise 

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter Four  
Quicksand**

_Previously on **Tragic Angel**: _

~"No, [Hotaru]'s not. Or at least, the Hotaru we knew wasn't. But she's changed, Usagi-chan. You can see it in her eyes. Something about her has changed. It might be too late to bring her back. She might be turned for good."~ 

~"It looks to me as if you're subtly preparing us for an all out war," Hotaru said coolly and frankly. "What of those of us who don't want to fight for your cause?"~ 

~"We need Hotaru. Setsuna said so. She said Saturn had an internal fighting mechanism that was placed in her, and only her, that could be unleashed and could destroy anything. We don't know how to trigger it, but the first step is getting her back. Please, Mako-chan...."~ 

~"Aerisevacuo!" 

"Panicking only makes it worse. Finite Incantatum will only work if I give the command. Which I won't. Think, Potter. If this spell cuts off your oxygen, making your lungs empty, think of a spell that may bring it back." While saying this, Hotaru's face remained impassive, as if she were cold to the dying boy in front of her. 

"Aerisimpleo!"~ 

~Harry shook his head. "She told me Finite Incantatum would only work if she cast it. Oh, and she can speak Parseltongue."~ 

~Setsuna sighed, leaning against her desk. "The myth that Ms. Tomoe had previously asked about is the most ancient type of myth, except for perhaps Greek and Roman. Or, as I should say, it's recording is just about as old as Greek and Roman myth. But in fact, those three myths have been circling each other for ages, even beyond the creation of the universe."~ 

~"Yeah," Hotaru said. "What luck. I know Snape. He's...interesting. There are some things about him, though, that I have a hard time believing."~ 

- 

Hotaru's next class was Advanced Potions. _Great, three teachers I already know in one day. Lady Luck's mocking me,_ she thought to herself as she walked with Draco and Blaise into the Potions classroom. She just hoped Snape would be smart enough as well not to blow her cover. He must know what she was there for. 

Hotaru once again was absent-mindedly toying with the Ring of Laverna around her finger. Blaise's eyes happened to cast down upon that. 

"Hey, what's that? It looks familiar." 

Hotaru jumped, startled. "What looks familiar?" 

"That ring." 

Draco had stopped too, staring at her finger. "Oh, hey! I've seen that ring before. I think my father called it the Ring of Laverna. It's supposed to be some sort of instrument of deceit. He told me it was one of the Dark Lord's favourite possessions. Did you steal that?" 

Hotaru hit him over the head, but not very hard. "You dolt, don't speak so frankly. No, he gave it to me." 

Draco rubbed the spot where Hotaru had hitten him. "Why?" 

"To fool the Sorting Hat. What are you, an idiot or something? I thought you were a Slytherin--smart and cunning." 

Draco smirked. "You forgot devastatingly handsome." 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Did I?" 

Draco's mouth fell open. "Are you insinuating that I'm ugly?" 

Hotaru sat down, Draco next to her, and Blaise next to him. "I didn't say that. You did." 

Draco, clearly offended, looked to Blaise. "Blaise, tell me the truth. Am I...ugly?" 

Blaise looked at him boredly, his eyelids softly drooping over his eyes. "No. You're hideous." 

Draco fell into his folded arms on top of the table. "You guys are so mean to me." 

Hotaru leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest. "Karma. What goes around, comes around." 

Draco slammed his fist on the table. "I'm not mean! I'm merely charming," he added with a sexy smirk. 

"Like a baboon's--." 

Someone cleared their throat very loudly at that very second. Draco, Blaise, and Hotaru immediately looked up to meet the cold, dark eyes of Professor Snape. "If you continue this conversation, despite the bell having been rung already, I will be forced to take off five points." 

The three nodded and became quiet. Snape's eyes flickered a little longer on Hotaru, but other than that, he hardly acknowledged her presence. Hotaru smirked. 

"Those of you that are in here, should know what class you have chosen. It's _Advanced_ Potions, and it's called _advanced_ for a reason. In here, there will be _no_ tolerance for distruption, lack of punctuality, and lack of responsibility. That means you are pressured to do more than you did last year. You are going to have more homework, more complicated potions, and less leniency from me," Snape explained in the sharp tones he normally spoke in, when not drawling. 

Hotaru knew the students other than the Slytherins that were in there wanted to say, "Since when did we get leniency?", but she was surprised that they were quiet. 

"So, are you absolutely sure you want to continue this course, Mr. Potter?" 

Hotaru jumped, and her head immediately jerked towards the direction of a very, very small cluster of Gryffindors. There was Harry Potter, a distinct determination on his face. It was the determination that said, "I'm not taking crap from you, and I'm here to prove you wrong." Hotaru almost admired him. Beside him, was a very studious-looking Hermione Granger. The only other Gryffindor in that class was Dean Thomas. Harry remained quiet, his glare unwavering. 

Hotaru caught Snape sneering. She decided to butt in. "I don't know, Professor Snape. I think this course may be a bit too advanced for him. After all, isn't he currently in training for the defeat of a certain Evil Overlord? Wouldn't this course deter him from his true destiny?" 

Both Snape and Harry's eyes flashed at the same time. "What are you saying, Tomoe?" Snape asked. 

Hotaru shrugged. "I'm saying that maybe he'll be a bit too busy saving people to do his homework and devote all his time and energy into making it in this course." 

Snape narrowed his eyes, understanding. "Yes, I see your point. Maybe I should give my reccomendation for less advanced courses." 

Harry stood. "No!" 

Both Hotaru and Snape looked at him. Snape was seething, and Hotaru had an amused little smile playing on her lips. 

Harry sat. "I mean, no. I can do it. I promise. The least you can do is give me a chance. If I mess up once, you can give all of the reccommendations you want." 

"Yeah, maybe you should give him a chance. After all, I could be wrong," Hotaru replied dismissively. 

Snape sighed. "And maybe you're more trouble than you're worth..." he said very quietly, so that only a few people could hear--namely Hotaru. 

Hotaru smirked, knowing then and there that Voldemort couldn't have known he was a spy. After all, he had told the Potions Master to keep an eye on her. 

Hermione's eyes narrowed, glaring at Hotaru with a supreme disliking. Hotaru yawned, making Hermione all the more infuriated. 

- 

"That Hotaru Tomoe is nothing but trouble!" Hermione cried after Potions was over. 

Harry sighed. "Hermione...come on... Will you please stop obsessing over the evilness of Hotaru Tomoe? We all know she's the spawn of Satan. It's not like you haven't told me that a hundred times." 

Hermione seemed as if her feathers were a bit ruffled. "She's working with Voldemort, I just know it. We just have to find some way to prove it. And insinuating that all you do with your time is save damsels in distress! Honestly, I never--!" 

"Hermione, you said the same thing last year. Or don't you remember? You said I had a 'people-saving thing'," Harry said with a friendly tone. "And maybe you're right." Harry got a very dark look upon him at that second, and Hermione knew he was thinking about Sirius. 

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Oh no! Harry, that wasn't your fault! It was Voldemort...he was sending those awful images to you. And because you love him so much, you had to go after him. Harry, don't you ever think it was your fault!" 

Harry closed his eyes, mentally counting to ten. "Then why did he send them to me in the first place, Hermione? He knew that I had a 'people-saving thing' and knew I would come after him. And it cost Sirius his life." 

The dead tones in which Harry was speaking in made Hermione begin to cry. "Oh, Harry..." 

"I'm going for a walk. I need some air." 

Hermione put a hand on his arm. "Do you want me to come with you?" 

Harry shook his head. "I need some alone time." Then he walked away, leaving Hermione in the middle of the corridor between the Transfiguration and Charms classrooms. 

Ron soon came up behind her, putting two large hands on her shoulders. "Is Harry okay?" 

Hermione let out a surpressed sob, putting her hand to her face. "I don't know, Ron..." 

Ron jumped, startled. "Hermione, don't cry..." 

Hermione looked up at him, turning around. "He's out of our reach...he's lost to us. If only Sirius hadn't died...if only Cedric didn't die...if only he wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived!" Hermione threw herself into Ron's arms. 

Ron akwardly held her, not knowing what to do. He wasn't used to crying girls in his arms. However, he soon got accustomed to it because it was Hermione. "Hey, don't say that..." he said in a soothing tone. "If Harry wasn't who he is, then he'd be some random guy who probably wouldn't be friends with us. It's like that saying...what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger." 

Hermione looked up into Ron's almond brown eyes. She felt better for some reason, knowing Ron was right. His face was very comforting. It was so familiar, and she needed that. She needed the familiarity of Ron's face to get through not being able to reach Harry. And times like these, she was glad they were friends. She gave him a small smile. "Thanks Ron." 

Ron blinked, caught off-guard. "You're welcome, but for what?" 

Hermione's smile grew broader, and she buried herself in his shoulder, holding onto him longer. "For everything." 

- 

Harry walked slowly, sluggishly almost, out in the dark. It was dark already. He was amazed. He must've been walking a whole lot longer than he thought he was. He checked his watch, and was surprised to find it was nearly eight o'clock at night. 

He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even see the sun going down. It didn't surprise him. He had gone on late night excursions at the Dursley's that summer, not reappearing until after midnight. It was usually that time before he realised how much he had walked. But he always walked, despite being grounded constantly. 

Walking made Harry feel as if he could reflect with a clearer perception. It always felt as if someone was actually listening to him. Whether it be the wind, moon, stars, grass, trees, or what have you. Someone was always understanding. Actually understanding. 

Understanding had become a sensitive spot for Harry with his two best friends. Ron and Hermione just didn't understand, couldn't understand him. He had gone through so much they hadn't. He was the one who was on the top priority hit list of the most evil man in existence. They weren't. They could never understand the sacrifices others made for him to live--just so he could live to kill the Dark Lord. He was like their puppet. An instrument that was supposed to kill a menace to society. And he didn't want to be that anymore. 

He wanted freedom. 

Then suddenly, a blood-curdling scream split through the air. Harry stopped dead in his tracks and looked around, his adrenaline suddenly pumping. He grabbed his wand instinctively. The scream ripped through the silence of the night once more, and Harry knew it was coming from the Forbidden Forest. 

He ran without another thought, sprinting through the woods and trees to find the source of the ear-splitting scream. It came again and Harry followed it. He heard something moving close by, whispered "_Lumos!_" and ran closer. 

The sight amazed him. A gigantic spider was tackling a young girl who looked very much like Hotaru Tomoe. "Tomoe?!" 

"Harry!" Hotaru cried, tears running down her face. They were tears of pure terror. 

Harry snapped out of his stupor and cried, "_Impedimentia!_" The spider flew back with the force of the spell, unmoving. Harry grabbed Hotaru and pulled her to safety, to the edge of the forest. Hotaru fell to her knees in the lush grass, shivvering and holding her arms. 

Harry put his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay...we're safe." 

Hotaru looked up at him, tears still falling from her eyes. "Y-you saved me." 

Harry bit his lip, giving a lop-sided grin afterwards. "Yeah, I guess I did. Are you okay? What were you doing in there?" 

Hotaru looked away. "I'm fine I guess...I was just going for a walk. That forest intrigued me. At home, I would walk through dense forests and reflect. I was doing that here...but then that huge spider attacked me...and I couldn't move. I was so scared...I couldn't even grab my wand. Then you came..." 

"You're lucky I was walking close to the forest. Don't you realise it's called the 'Forbidden Forest' for a reason?!" he cried, sounding very worried. 

Hotaru frowned, wiping her tears from her face. "I don't need a lecture, Potter. I already know not to go back into that forest." 

Harry's eyes widened. He hadn't realised he was lecturing her just then. For some reason, he was very worried that she could've gotten hurt or worse--killed. But how? Didn't he hate her? "I-I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me." 

"Apology accepted," Hotaru murmured. "Maybe I should go back to the dormitory. Someone's bound to worry." 

Harry felt himself laugh shortly. "Miss you? I was under the impression that you weren't very popular." 

Hotaru glared. "Who needs to be popular? But I do have friends. It's not unheard of, you know. Although, I understand you thinking I couldn't make friends. Your personal choise of friends is rather...odd," Hotaru replied in an airy voice. 

"Hey! They're good people. You don't even know them, so how can you insult them?" Harry was becoming rather angry with her again. She was like Draco almost, ruining possible moments for kindness with snide comments. 

Hotaru smirked. "You're loyal, I'll give you that. You defend your friends even when you're so angry at them that you could just scream." 

Harry blinked, caught off-guard. "Don't you?" 

Hotaru looked away again, a dark look crossing her features, making her look distant and cold. "Yeah, and they do the same for me. They definitely don't talk about me behind my back...saying less-than-kind things about me...using me for their own personal gain. They're above that." 

Harry gave her a curious look, knowing her tone was very sarcastic. "You're not just talking about Zabini and Malfoy, are you?" 

Hotaru's eyes flashed and she quickly looked at him. "And what makes you think I'm not?" 

Harry shrugged, noticing that his hand was still on her shoulder, and that they were still sitting in wet grass, on the edge of a very dangerous forest. He also noticed that it was way past eight now. "I don't know. It was just a feeling." 

Hotaru smirked uneasily. "Hasn't anyone ever told you not to act upon feelings? Or think upon them? It's dangerous." 

"And since when are you worried about my safety?" 

She furrowed her brow. "Me? Concerned about your safety? No, you completely misunderstood the intention of that comment. I was insulting your thought process." 

Harry felt compelled to laugh, and he did. 

Hotaru frowned. "What's funny?" 

Harry shook his head and stood. "Well, a lot of people are probably not worried about you coming in safely, but I know I'll be missed." 

Hotaru blinked. "You're leaving me here? When those spiders could come out any second and kidnap me, take me into their lair, then maybe even rape me for their own sacreligous reasons, and then offer me to their gods? That's not right!" 

Harry chuckled. "That's ridiculous. Spiders don't have the...equipment to rape you." 

Hotaru stood on her feet quickly. "That's not true.... Besides, they might have some sort of mutation that makes it possible. You never know. Spiders _that size_ aren't normal to begin with...what makes you think they've stopped at growing at impossible sizes? What makes you think a genetic defect isn't possible?" 

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that you have an over-active imagination?" 

Hotaru felt like sticking out her tongue. Didn't. "Better than having an under-active brain." 

Once again, Harry chuckled. 

"Once again, you misunderstand the intention behind my comments. I'm trying to insult you, you dolt." 

By now they had reached the inside of the castle, nearing the split between the Gryffindor tower and Slytherin dungeons. "Trying, but failing." 

Hotaru crossed her arms. "You're impossible. No wonder you're on the Dark Lord's hit list. If you annoy him half as much as you annoy me, I'm surprised you're not already dead." 

Harry's eyes went wide, his face unreadable. Hotaru looked at him, a bit shocked. "What?" 

Harry looked away, his hands in his pockets. "Nothing. It's just...you're the first person to speak so frankly with me...you know, without being vicious about it." 

Hotaru's arms remained cross. "What are you talking about, you sentimental idiot? I'm being very vicious. You should be cowering with fear at my sheer cruelty." 

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Right." 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "I go this way. Thanks for saving my life and all. See you tomorrow, unfortunately." She left abruptly, heading quickly towards the dungeons. 

Harry blinked. He was going to invite her to...somewhere. He wasn't sure where, but he was going to ask her to come. Why the sudden departure? Was she actually meaning to be cruel? Was he just reading the signals wrong? He shook his head, not understanding. At least she made him forget about his problems...for a moment anyway. He brooded all the way up to the Gryffindor, past Hermione and Ron, and to his dormitory. 

Hotaru sighed, half smirking. It had worked. She had agitated the spider, getting it to attack her. Unfortunately, it had attacked her far longer than she had planned. She lifted her cloak, standing against the dungeon wall, and examined the deep gash on her abdomen. It smarted a lot. She tenderly touched it with her fingers, wincing each time. Damn Potter, he just had to take his sweet little time, didn't he? Luckily, the plan went accordingly. They had shared a premeditated moment, and she knew Potter was beginning to at least question his lack of liking of her. 

However, she needed medical attention quickly or she would probably collapsed from blood loss eventually. She looked around the dungeon corridor, making absolutely sure that nobody was in sight. When there was nobody around, she hovered her palm over the deep wound. Instantly, a purple light spilled out and into the wound, making it shimmer until nothing was left. The tear in her clothing was still there, but the gash was gone. 

With a self-satisfied smirk, she covered herself in her robes again. Using her powers on herself still made her very tired and weary. She had to used the wall to hold herself up until she disappeared behind the wall guarding the Slytherin entrance. 

When she got in, however, she could no longer hold herself up. She fell to her knees, gasping for air. The feeling was so familiar--back when she had Mistress Nine in her...back when she didn't have an ounce of strength...back when she had seizures...back when she was weak, she thought with a grimace. 

Blaise immediately came to her rescue, lifting her up and placing her on the couch. She lay there, staring at the drab, almost sad grey ceiling above her. "What happened?" 

Hotaru then looked at him. "I don't know. I just...I just felt weak. Anyway, my plan worked. He's every much the people-saver everyone makes him out to be." 

Draco frowned. "We know that, but how do you?" 

Hotaru smirked. "Well, I got myself attacked by a giant spider, that's how. And I can let out a pretty loud scream. How can the Boy-Who-Lived let such an opportunity of playing hero slip away? So, he saved me. Then we had a nice exchange of wits...I won. But I think he's beginning to warm up to me." 

Blaise's eyebrows rose. "But you could've gotten killed. You realise that, don't you?" 

Hotaru frowned. "Now you're sounding like Potter. I know I could've gotten killed. That was half the adventure. I was in full control the entire time, however. You forget who trained me, personally." 

Draco and Blaise exchanged glances, said nothing, and nodded. Hotaru nodded as well. "I'm glad we're clear. But I should be getting to work. That little incident cost me some precious homework time. And I have Advanced Potions again tomorrow. I need to do my homework." 

- 

As she lay awake in her dormitory that night, Hotaru reflected on her entire day. 

Harry Potter had been in all of her classes. That wasn't coincidence. She had heard Potter's reputation in Potions, and knew that it was terrible. She understood the Mythology part. That was pure coincidence. But Advanced Potions? _Someone_, she didn't know who, must've encouraged it. She knew he couldn't have done it on his own accord. He hated Snape, that she knew very well. 

And that person was a danger to her mission--to her entire identity. That person knew of Hotaru's association with the Dark Lord. They knew that she was coming this year, and knew of her mission. But she knew this person was working against her. She ran through a list of suspects. 

Dumbledore was first on her list. It was very possible that he encouraged Potter to take Advanced Potions. But would he do that to his Golden Boy? Would he inadvertantly place him in danger? Yeah, that was an easy one. He had done it so many times before, what made this one any different? 

How, one may ask, would Potter be in danger if he took Advanced Potions with Hotaru? Well, the answer was simple. It gave her more opportunity to gain his trust then betray him in a very cruel way. The less classes Harry had with her, the safer he'd be. But no, he was in a lot more classes of hers than she had thought. 

Professor McGonagall was a likely candidate as well. He'd listen to her judgement, and would feel competant to even take it. But she wasn't high on Hotaru's list. Somehow, she didn't quite make sense in that position. 

Maybe Sirius Black before he died? But how would Black figure out that she would be coming? He was very smart, she knew that, but how much did he actually know? No, Black wasn't the one. 

Remus Lupin, perhaps? But Remus probably knew about as much as Black knew about her and her objective. He wasn't a likely suspect. 

Then, she came up with a rather crazy idea. Professor Snape? Why hadn't she thought of him before? He was a spy, after all, for the Light. He could have told Potter he'd never be able to do it, but meanwhile reccommending it. And he'd most definitely place Potter in such danger. But that would also mean he knew Hotaru's _true_ intentions. She shook her head. She didn't want to think of that. 

After all, Voldemort was a very good Legilimens. 

Voldemort! That's right, he had a letter for her under her pillow. She drew the curtains around her bed, pretending to be going to bed. She reached under her pillow and found the space to be completely empty. She frowned. It should be there. Xavier wasn't likely to be joking with her. This was a serious mission. 

Then she suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that someone had beaten her to the letter. The only person who could've known...she just had to make sure. Closing her eyes, concentrating really hard, she pressed her palm on the mattress. Every magical being left a trace of pure, concentrated magic energy on everything they touched. If she could just concentrate, she'd be able to figure out exactly who had taken her letter. 

Briefly, the dark symbol of Pluto flashed in her mind. She nearly snarled at Setsuna's betrayal, got out of her four-poster bed, and got dressed into a pair of black pajama pants, a black short-sleeve shirt, and a pair of trainers. She got out her wand and exited the dormitory, and eventually the entire dungeon. Setsuna's office wasn't too far from the dungeons, so she could have taken it at any time. In fact, Hotaru wouldn't be surprised if she knew all of the passwords to get in beforehand. This was just great. 

Hotaru safely got into the classroom. She crept slowly towards the office door, whispered a spell so that anything making noise in that room would be amplified enough so that Hotaru could hear a mouse breathing. And only she would be able to hear it. She didn't hear anything. Nothing, not even the scurrying of a mouse. She whispered, "_Alohomora!_", and walked into the room. 

Immediately, she put proximity charms on the entire area around her and went to work, searching for the letter. All she had to do was stand still, completely still, and concentrate on the magical energy that radiated from Voldemort. It was a familiar energy, cold and dark. It was an energy that made the happiness get sucked out of you, making you feel dreadful. It made you shivver, made you hollow, made you depressed and angry, and made you want to kill yourself. In that respect, it was very much like the magical energy Hotaru possessed. But it didn't make you feel any emotion, nothing but cold impassiveness. 

Ah! There it was. How inconspicuous. It was on the top of Setsuna's desk. _You know what they say, the perfect place to hide something is in plain sight,_ Hotaru thought as she approached it. She grabbed the letter, clasped it firmly in her hands, and crept out of the office and eventually the classroom. She then felt Setsuna approaching, and she made a beeline for the dungeons, and then the common room, and then her bed. 

She shut herself in her curtains, tearing open the letter and reading it. 

_On this, you can write anything and it won't be seen by anyone else. I have made a spell so that it can only be seen by you and me._

Hotaru nodded. _Well let's hope the Mistress of Time can't see it either,_ she thought dreadingly. Without hesitation, she reached for her quill and ink, and began writing. 

_Everything so far has been going according to plan. Blaise Zabini is being very helpful, as well as the others. They should be congratulated. They haven't spoken a word of incrimination towards me yet. The ring worked splendidly and I hope to continue using it as I fear there are more Legilimens here. Although I am highly trained in Occulmency, I wish for extra protection. _

At this point, Potter is beginning to take a liking to me. Phase one is complete. In case you haven't already heard, phase one was me being attack by a giant spider, then him coming to my rescue. It worked magnificently. However, I am rather concerned. Someone knows of my identity here, besides the usual. Whoever that person is, they encouraged Potter to take a lot of the classes I'm taking--including Advanced Potions. This is an advantage to us, but this also means somebody knows. 

I will keep you updated weekly. My first day went well and only a few people are suspicious. But those people are also the two people Potter hangs out with. They're Gryffindors and are going to be suspicious of a Slytherin regardless of their intentions. 

She folded the letter, sealed it in an envelope, and placed it inside her pillow case so that she could take it to the Owlry the next morning. 

- 

As usual, Hotaru did not get a lick of sleep that night. She had closed her eyes, but there was no sleep. "I'm either going to have to get sleeping pills, a whole case of alcohol, or someone to knock me cold every night. Because otherwise, I'm never going to get sleep," she mentioned that morning at breakfast to a listening Blaise Zabini. 

"I'll knock you cold every night _and_ get you the alcohol...but only if you share," he offered. 

Hotaru glared. "Thanks, but no. I don't want you to become an alcoholic. I've seen both your and Malfoy's father when drunk. It's not a pretty picture. They make complete asses out of themselves. Your two families cannot hold hard liquour for your life." 

Draco frowned. "That's not true. My family can hold hard liquour very well." 

"Wine and champagne are not considered 'hard liquour'. I'm talking about whiskey, rum, scotch...the stuff that lets me sleep at nights," Hotaru informed. "Not something that is considered an aphrodisiac." 

"Although both are rather tempting," Blaise comment off-handedly. 

"You sick pervert," Hotaru spat, only half serious. 

"Well, what do we all have today?" Draco asked, obviously talking to himself. He was looking over his own schedule. 

Hotaru did the same. "Transfiguration with Ravenclaw, Care of Magical Creatures, and then another wonderful double period of Advanced Potions," she said aloud, but in a quiet voice. 

"Ah yes, but while you all are at Care of Magical Creatures, I'll be in my History of Magic class," Blaise informed, sipping at his hot tea. "While the teacher is dull, I find the subject fascinating." 

Hotaru nodded. "History _is_ fascinating, so long as it's on an interesting subject. Take the War of 1340 for example. I just finished doing a report on it for my guardian. The most boring battle in history. When you get to it, I'll let you borrow my notes." Hotaru looked over at Draco. "So, you've completed your History of Magic training then?" 

"Yes, I have," Draco replied rather grumpily. Hotaru had just realised that they weren't serving coffee that morning due to abrupt shortage. She suspected Blaise had something to do with that, as he had nearly spit out his tea when they were all informed. "History of Magic from now on is completely optional...what with me getting superior marks in that subject anyway. Dumbledore practically forced me to give up the subject. Said if I studied it anymore, I'd know more history than Professor Binns--who _is_ history." 

Hotaru narrowed her eyes, knowing it was an exaggeration. "Right." Suddenly, Hotaru felt the chilling feeling she got whenever someone was looking at her intently. She turned around completely, but didn't even see Potter at his table. Then she turned to her other side and saw a pair of glaring brown eyes that belonged to one Pansy Parkinson. Hotaru glared back, but then caught Draco's eye. "What's she glaring at me for?" 

Draco sighed, taking a break from trying to change the tea into coffee. It just wasn't working out. (Hotaru secretly wondered if Blaise had hexed Draco's cup from any transfiguration spells.) "She's jealous, of course. You've _stolen_ me, she said. I told her you've done nothing of the sort. But she won't listen, the wench. I told her she could sit with us, but she's scared." 

Hotaru blinked. "Scared?" That was a familiar feeling. Everyone, always, had been afraid of her. 

Blaise nodded. "Yeah, or don't you know your own reputation? You're one of the scariest people I know. Personality wise, too." 

Hotaru raised her eyebrows. "Oh? So why do we always seem to be hanging out as of late?" 

Blaise grinned. "I like scary people. Why do you think I hang out with Draco? Companionship?" Blaise laughed as Draco sent a biscuit flying at his face. 

Hotaru shook her head, a small grin on her face. "You're insane. I think that if you killed someone right now, you could claim mental insanity and actually get away with it." 

Both Draco and Blaise's faces brightened somewhat. "Is that so?" Draco asked. Immediately, he began looking around. "Where's that sod Potter?" 

Blaise chuckled. 

Hotaru groaned. "Then again...maybe you're just idiots." 

- 

It was Transfiguration first with Ravenclaw. McGonagall was surprised by the lack of interruption. It seemed as if the Ravenclaw and Slytherin houses both got along with each other quite well as long as a Gryffindor wasn't in the room. Mix one Harry Potter and you'd have a bloodbath. 

And despite having Makoto tell her to be watchful of Hotaru Tomoe, McGonagall found the girl to be quite intelligent, attentive, charming, and very friendly. She even kept Draco Malfoy from mouthing off about having to transfigure a snake into a kitten. Although, she did allow him to say that it was demeening and a hit below the belt. 

Hotaru had been very much amused. 

When the class had ended, she found that Hotaru was also quite talented. She had transfigured the snake into a kitten the first try. However, when McGonagall had examined it, she found that the cat possessed snake-like qualities. While McGonagall was very good with cats, the cat had tried to attack her repeatedly. It was as if Hotaru hadn't changed it's personality at all. When asked, Hotaru said, "Well, I didn't think it was fair to completely change such a majestic creature into something so cute and cuddly. I wanted you to see that while it's shape has changed, the true beast still resides in it." 

That statement sent chills down McGonagall's spine. 

- 

"Did you see the look on old McGonagall's face when Tomoe explained why she hadn't completely transfigured the snake?" Draco asked, delighted. "It was like her favourite uncle had died and left her no fortune whatsoever! Brilliant, Tomoe. I applaud you for freaking out the Transfiguration teacher." 

Blaise applauded as well. 

Hotaru held up a hand. "Please, please. It wasn't that big of a deal, okay? I can just as easily freak Snape out. McGonagall was no challenge. She hasn't seen enough to be callous to the sort of stuff I can say." 

Draco and Blaise exchanged a look, and then clapped harder. 

"What is this, an awards ceremony? Would you like a speech?" Hotaru asked, half joking. 

"We'd love one. But you'll have to save it for later," Blaise replied. When they gave him inquiring looks, he held up his History of Magic book. "I take History of Magic, remember? This should be wonderful. I'm expecting the class size to be very small." 

While Hotaru and Draco went outside, Blaise veered left and they separated. Hotaru was forced to listen to Draco mercilessly complain about the hippogriff incident. "I don't even know why I take this class anymore. That giant is set on killing me, I just know it. He's had it in for me since my first year. I can see it in his eyes. Pure lust for blood, for destruction." 

Hotaru quirked an eyebrow. "Don't you think maybe you're being a bit over-dramatic? Paranoid? Perhaps even dellusional?" 

Draco shook his head fervently. "No, no, no...wait until you see. You'll see the total capacity for a killing machine. A killing machine that has been programmed to tear me limb from limb. Probably by that sod, Potter." 

Hotaru laughed, knowing Potter had no desire to tear Draco limb from limb. Well, at least, it wasn't his top priority anyway... 

"What's funny?" 

Hotaru shook her head. "Nothing, let's just hurry up. That tortoise is beating us." 

TBC... 

Author's Note: Ah, chapter four. Wow...these chapters are just so long for me! I mean, I never expected them to be so long. *fights of giggles of excitement* And the story is paced rather nicely, I hope. I don't want it going to fast. I want there to be at least twenty or more chapters. Don't know if that's going to happen. But when it's done, I hope to put it up on either Schnoogle or The Dark Arts or Astronomy Tower. What do you think? We'll just see when we get there. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review! I love reviews. They make me inspired to write more chapters. Next chapter: Hotaru goes to Care of Magical Creatures class. Poor Hagrid. I pity the bloke at times. But, I am an author. And I need to write interesting scenes to keep my audience attentive! *wishes this chapter could've been better* 

-Deirdre Blair 


	5. Impressions

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: *sigh* I do not own Sailor Moon or Harry Potter. *frowns* Forget the disclaimers for the rest of the story. I've already said it enough, don't you think? It's also getting pretty monotonous. 

Summary: Hotaru's plan is working fine. Harry Potter is beginning to take a fancy to her. And then one more surprise comes for Hotaru, and now she's feeling the heat from all sides of the line in the sand. 

Author's Note: Woohoo! Chapter five. I'm excited again. I love writing this story. It's...fun. I don't know why, but it is. Oh, I love reading your reviews, everyone! They keep me happy for the rest of the week. I didn't know if this was a good story or not, so your reviews have helped me up my confidence. Eh...but I'm not going to get too confident.... I don't have a big head. *nods* So, please continue to review while I try to update as often as possible. I love getting reviews more than anything. Feedback is just...heaven. And I'm rambling. So, I'll get back to the story. 

(By the way, Chika Sakamoto has such a lovely voice. I could listen to Kaze no Uta and Perfect World all day!) 

Rating: PG13 

Pairing: Harry/Hotaru, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Blaise 

Genre: Romance/Drama 

Warning: **Male/Male SLASH**

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter Five  
Impressions**

_Previously on **Tragic Angel**: _

~Hermione seemed as if her feathers were a bit ruffled. "She's working with Voldemort, I just know it. We just have to find some way to prove it. And insinuating that all you do with your time is save damsels in distress! Honestly, I never--!"~ 

~Hermione looked up at him, turning around. "He's out of our reach...he's lost to us. If only Sirius hadn't died...if only Cedric didn't die...if only he wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived!" Hermione threw herself into Ron's arms.~ 

~He was like their puppet. An instrument that was supposed to kill a menace to society. And he didn't want to be that anymore. 

He wanted freedom.~ 

~The sight amazed him. A gigantic spider was tackling a young girl who looked very much like Hotaru Tomoe. "Tomoe?!"~ 

~Harry put his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay...we're safe." 

Hotaru looked up at him, tears still falling from her eyes. "Y-you saved me."~ 

~Blaise immediately came to her rescue, lifting her up and placing her on the couch. She lay there, staring at the drab, almost sad grey ceiling above her. "What happened?" 

Hotaru then looked at him. "I don't know. I just...I just felt weak. Anyway, my plan worked. He's every much the people-saver everyone makes him out to be."~ 

- 

Hotaru began to realise, as the seconds passed, Care of Magical Creatures was a favourite of the Gryffindors. There were only a few Ravenclaws, a handful of Hufflepuffs, and a few Slytherins. She thought she knew the answer. Obviously, the teacher spoiled them silly. As the giant came into view, her breath caught in her throat. She recognised him from the boats when she first arrived. 

She hadn't particularly cared for him then either. 

She stood close to Draco, not really knowing anyone else. She thought about venturing over to Harry Potter and offering to hang out with him, but then she'd have to put up with his two friends staring suspiciously at her. She didn't like to be stared at. 

Then she came to realise that they were right next to the Forbidden Forest. It stole her attention as Hagrid came out and introduced himself to the class. The darkness, the feeling of being alone...it all came rushing back to her. It felt familiar and it felt like home. It was like her room back home--filled with lamps she had collected--where she would lay on the bed and cry. The memories came back at her like a tidal wave. 

She had pushed those memories to the farthest corner of her mind, knowing that to remember them was death--as Voldemort could see into her mind. But she couldn't stop them now. They were flooding her mind, her senses. All she could see, all she could hear, were the many nights spent wondering what was wrong with her. Tears began to surface. 

"Tomoe? You there?" 

Hotaru jerked back to reality, her tears still brimming the surface of her eyes. She met with a pair of curious grey eyes. She blinked several times. "Uh, yeah...just got caught up in the...the scenery." She looked back up at Hagrid, who was concerned. She gave him a reassuring smile (one she used to give a lot) and he continued calling role. 

She looked around and caught a pair of emeralds staring at her with interest. She stared at him for a few seconds, and then let the teacher steal her attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Harry do the same. 

"The first creature we're going to study this year is going to be the pegasus. We just recently got a whole herd of 'em this past summer. There's gonna be enough for one per three people. So, get in yer groups and I'll bring 'em out." 

Draco immediately looked at Hotaru, and Hotaru nodded. Pansy, feeling rather left out, paired up with Millicent. "Well, we'll take Crabbe and you can take Goyle then," Draco suggested with a tone of distaste. 

Pansy sneered and looked at Goyle. Crabbe joined their group. 

"Have you ever seen a pegasus? I've heard stories, but I've never actually _seen_ one. Aren't they supposed to be anti-social?" asked Draco. 

Crabbe blinked dully. Hotaru rolled her eyes. "They're _supposed_ to be anti-social. It's rare that you get a whole herd, but it's not impossible. I've _seen_ one...beautiful creature," she replied, referring to Helios. 

And to her amazement, a pearl-white winged horse with a red jewel on it's forehead along with a golden crystal horn, walked out of the forest. It's red eyes were fixed on Hotaru. 

"He-Helios?" Hotaru whispered. 

Hagrid blinked. "Oh, would you like this one?" he asked. "Careful, though. He won't let no one touch him, not even me." 

Draco muttered something about how he doesn't hesitate to give them the one that's probably going to murder them. 

Helios walked up to them without the go ahead from Hagrid. Everyone watched this display. He let Hotaru hold his chin in her palm and then pet his nose with her other hand. Hagrid was astounded. 

Hagrid passed around a pegasus to each group. When finished, he replied, "Now, in a couple of days, we'll see if we can get 'em to let you ride 'em. But you'll have ter study them a bit before that. Right now, I'd just like you to get acquainted with 'em." 

Hotaru's gaze was fixed upon Helios. His gaze was fixed upon hers. Draco Malfoy thought the whole thing was utterly eerie. It was as if they were communicating on an entirely different level. 

_Well,_ Hotaru thought to Helios. _I wasn't expecting you here._

_That was the point._

Hotaru cocked her head to the side a bit, not paying any attention to the creeped out Draco. _I thought you were protecting Chibiusa. Are you telling me everything is safe back home? If that's the case, I don't believe it._

The horse's eyes seemed to narrow. _So you _can_ feel it. Chibiusa didn't think you could, since you weren't there to rescue everyone._

Hotaru glared at him. _I have my own new life here. But,_ she added with a little concern in her voice. _Chibiusa _is_ all right, isn't she?_

Helios looked away. _For the time being. But that remains to be seen. Hotaru, you can feel the destruction in Tokyo. But can you feel the reason you're needed there?_

Hotaru crossed her arms, her lips a thin line. _I don't quite know why I'm needed. All I know is I'm _never_ going back, Helios. Never. Not even if the entire city blows up. I can't go back to a past that still haunts me to this day._

_Then it's hopeless. Everyone will die. The senshi will die. Neo Queen Serenity will die. _Chibiusa_ will die,_ he replied in sorrowful tones. 

Hotaru looked back up at him. _Don't you dare say that. Chibiusa has her own plan, Helios. You and I both know that. She's safe no matter what._

He blew from his nose noisely. _That's assuming they don't kill me._

_They haven't yet,_ she said. _Now go back to Chibiusa. She needs you more than I._

_Fine. But Trinity will be here in my absence._ Helios called over Trinity, who happened to be Harry's group's pegasus. She came without hesitation. 

"Hey! That's not fair," Ron cried, outraged. "Hagrid, they're stealing our pegasus!" 

Hagrid turned around and saw the very same thing. "Trinity, now you get back there and stay. You're supposed to be assigned to one group only." 

The beautiful black mare didn't even pause. She kept her azure eyes foreward. 

Hotaru gazed upon the elegant pegasus. She knew that she had to be a pegasus like Helios. There were only a few in the entire solar system, but she knew Trinity was one of the ones who could change into a human. One who was a protector to a certain senshi. 

Trinity was a black mare, with eyes as blue as sapphires. Hotaru thought this was strange. But then again, a pegasus wasn't an ordinary horse. Trinity had a glowing sapphire on her forehead, and also a silver crystal horn. She made her way over in just a few seconds. 

_This is Trinity. She has been my companion for nearly one hundred years,_ explained Helios. _While I am gone, she will watch over you._

_Hello, Hotaru,_ spoke an enchanting voice that came from Trinity. 

Hotaru, being very respectful to such a mystical creature, nodded and bowed slightly. _I don't mean any disrespect, but I already have enough people watching over me as it stands._

_But I'm here for Chibiusa. She cares more than you know,_ Trinity replied. 

Hotaru shook her head, not daring to say "You're wrong, I do know." _Fine, but don't expect me to come out every night and explain my every move to you._

"Tomoe!" 

Hotaru was snapped from her telepathic link with the two horses. She jerked her head up, and met with Ron Weasley's eyes. "Hm?" 

"What are you doing with _our_ pegasus? You have your own!" 

Hotaru glared scornfully. "A pegasus belongs to no one! I don't ever want to here you claim ownership to them again! That is not only terribly wrong, but it's disrespectful." Hotaru was now only inches from Ron's face. "They are a creature to be honoured and respected. Not to be domesticated like a cat or dog." 

Ron's gaze wavered somewhat, clearly not having enough willpower to stand up to her. She had become practised in this very art. Nobody could stand up to her. Hotaru looked over at Harry. "Once again," Hotaru spat. "You're choice in friends seems to be lacking." 

Ron had already joined Harry's side. "And you better be glad you're a girl, or I'd pummel you into the dirt!" 

Hotaru crouched into a fighting position. "Oh? You think just because I'm a girl, that I don't know a few moves? You think brute strength is the only factor that decides the outcome of the game?" 

"Now, Tomoe," Hagrid said with a tinge of uncertainty in his voice. "I don't want any trouble now. You best cool off for a minute." 

Hotaru looked up at Hagrid, her gaze still unwavering. "Maybe you're right. Getting into a fight in front of a teacher is just asking for detention." Hotaru then glared back at Ron. "So you had better watch you're back. Remember what house I represent. You insult me, you insult the entire house." 

With that, Hotaru turned and went back to Helios. _Tell Chibiusa not to worry. I'm doing fine._

_Yes, I can see that,_ Helios replied dryly. Without another word, he took off. Not even the spells designed to keep this from happening stopped him as he became a speck in the sky. 

The bell rang, signalling the end of class. As the entire class walked off, talking about what had just happened, Trinity talked to Hotaru. 

_You're getting yourself into a lot of trouble, Hotaru._

Hotaru didn't look at her. _That may be. But it's all for a reason._ She walked off, knowing that reason, and leaving Trinity bewildered. Now that she had clearly upsetted Ron Weasley, his best friend would come to his rescue and try to talk Hotaru out of sentencing him to death. Yes, it was working nicely. 

- 

"You know, Tomoe, I'm beginning to think you're taking my job away from me," announced Draco as they settled into lunch. He carelessly helped himself to a scoop of mashed potatoes. 

Hotaru looked at him, a bit baffled. "Taking you're job away from you? No, I'm trying to provoke Potter." 

Blaise chuckled. He did that a lot, Hotaru came to realise. Blaise always chuckled, but it was in such a cynical and dark way that Hotaru didn't quite find it amusing. "Yeah, trying to provoke Potter _is_ Draco's job though." 

Draco glared. "Oh sod off, Zabini," he snapped, clearly taking offence to that. 

Hotaru smirked and shrugged. "Well, I'm doing it for a reason. Not just because I get off on tormenting people." 

Draco glared at her too. "I don't _get off_ on it. I find it fun, though. Fun, however, is something you probably wouldn't understand." 

Hotaru became stone-faced, her lips a thin line, and her grip on her spoon almost too tight. 

Draco smirked. "Oh, did I strike a nerve?" 

Hotaru glared up at him. "No. I was just thinking of how all you do is play, play, play, when everyone else has to work. All play and no work makes Draco a spoiled brat." With that, she got up and walked out of the Great Hall. Draco Malfoy had struck a nerve. She realised, as she neared the tall tree close to the lake, that she never had fun anymore. She couldn't once think of a time when she was actually having fun for her. That was something she missed. 

At least in Tokyo, she could go with Chibiusa to the amusement park or something... No! She wasn't going to think about that life. This was what she wanted to do. She desired for this life. If she turned her back now, there would be terrible consequences. While she knew she could probably kill Voldemort with the snap of two fingers, she also knew Destiny. It was Harry Potter's destiny to fight with Voldemort, and in the end, one would fall. And Hotaru didn't want to piss off Destiny. She had already done it, she supposed, by not becoming a senshi again. 

Or maybe, this was her destiny all along. 

Hotaru shook her head. She had to stop thinking about that. Besides, she didn't even want to kill Voldemort. He had raised her, almost cared for her. And she was loyal to him for a reason she couldn't even begin to recognise. But it was there. She wouldn't ever get past Reborn in Death Reborn Revolution. The same with Lucius Malfoy. And to kill Voldemort was to kill Lucius. She didn't even know why. 

Of course, Hotaru had always felt a sense of loyalty to all who raised her. But then again, she turned her back on that life. She forced herself to not even remember Haruka's face while they were working on her bike. Or Michiru's face as she taught Hotaru to play the violen. Or even Setsuna's face as she told her all about the world around her--the history of it. 

And it was because of those history lessons that Hotaru was here to begin with. 

The story of Voldemort and the Boy-Who-Lived intrigued her beyond her own reasoning. She wanted to go there, meet the people, and live that sort of life. But that was when she was young. Then she grew up, and became resentful of everyone around her. She became paranoid that they were going to use her for something horrible. 

And she had been right. They wanted to do that now. 

But she was gone, long gone. They were _never_ going to get her back. 

"-you listening to me?" 

Hotaru snapped out of her reverie to come face to face with Harry Potter. Hotaru blinked, having lost herself in thought. She hated when she did that. It always made room for Voldemort to read her mind. "Um, what?" 

Harry didn't roll his eyes, as Hotaru thought he would. He just remained staring at her. "I need to talk to you." 

Hotaru stealed herself. "About?" 

"About you insulting my friends all the time. It's getting infuriating and Ron's about ready to kill you with his bare hands." 

Hotaru shrugged. "And this is my problem, how?" 

"Did you not hear the part about Ron wanting to kill you? I consider that a problem," Harry replied. 

Hotaru glared at him, her fists clenching a bit. "I can handle a mere boy," she said in a dead tone. 

"He's not a mere boy. He's very strong." 

Hotaru shook her head, a small smirk making its way onto her face. "What didn't you understand when I said that brute strength doesn't decide the outcome of a fight? I don't fight dirty, but I have a lot of experience. Anyone who goes up against me is asking for it." 

"You've got quite an ego, there. Slytherin is definitely the house for you." 

Hotaru threw her hands up, exasperated. "There you go again, attacking my house. Why don't you leave the other Slytherins out of this?" She looked at him. "We don't have as big an ego as you'd like to think we have. We have to be self-assured, self-confident. But we're not overly confident. With ambition comes confidence, or you fail. Besides, attacking my house is a bit low, don't you think? After all, they are not here to defend themselves." 

Harry just stared at her. "Well, they haven't given me much reason to like them, have they?" 

"Neither have you. What have you done for them that would ever make them like you? Being the Boy-Who-Lived ensures instant popularity, but that doesn't mean it's good popularity. Why do you think everyone wants to be your friend?" 

"Draco Malfoy seemed pretty keen to be my friend." 

Hotaru sighed. "Yeah, before he got to know what a big git you are. He offered you his friendship in your first year. But you turned him down in a very humiliating way. You were against him the moment you saw him." 

"He insulted Ron!" he cried, trying to defend himself. 

"So? Maybe he has a history with Weasley that you don't know about. For all you knew at the time, Weasley could have tormented Draco." 

Harry crossed his arms. "But I was right, wasn't I?" 

"Yes, but that's not the point," she replied quickly. "The point is that you passed judgement before you got to even know him. You didn't know all of the facts before you humiliated him." 

"What, do you want me to run up to him, apologise, and then try to become friends?" he asked, frustrated. He came here to talk about Ron, not bloody Draco Malfoy. "Because if that's what you're trying to get me to do, you're wasting your breath!" 

Hotaru shook her head. "No, I wouldn't dream of it. But I am asking you to get all of the facts before you become ready to make that other person your enemy or friend. Some people have layers of a fake personality covering the real one. And while you may not like that fake personality very much, you may turn out liking the real one." 

"Why would someone do that?" he asked, now in a very low, serious tone. It was as if he was thinking that person was Hotaru. Maybe he was smarter than Hotaru gave him credit for. "Why would someone hide their true self beneath layers of someone else?" 

Hotaru leaned against the tree, not swaying him from his guess--which was a right one. "Because sometimes, that's the way it has to be. Sometimes, that's the only way that person can survive." 

"But is that really surviving? Living a lie?" 

Hotaru sneered. "Surviving is staying alive. Living a lie is still living." 

Harry got a rather small, funny smile on his face at that moment. "That has to be tough, though. One slip, and you're ruined. You have to be on your guard at all times. And to let one person in is to ensure your untimely death." 

Hotaru blinked, understanding him. He knew. The bastard knew she was working for Voldemort. How? Well, being a Slytherin made everyone think that. Maybe because she was hanging out with Draco Malfoy? Or maybe...just maybe he had a knack for spotting Death Eaters and she wasn't aware of that. But if he knew, then why wasn't he blabbering to Dumbledore about it? That would surely make the front papers of the _Daily Prophet_. "Infamous Death Eater, Behind the Death of Thousands, Captured by Harry Potter". What a headline that would be. 

"That's true. So you see this person's dilemma? They wouldn't readily show you their true personality then, would they?" 

Harry sighed. "No, I don't think they would." Then, realising something, Harry blinked. "You're one to talk, though." 

Hotaru smirked. 

"You passed judgement on Hermione and Ron before you even got to know them," Harry told her in an annoyed voice. 

Hotaru chuckled. Didn't he see yet that it was all a mere ploy to get him to meet her without her dragging him everywhere? 

"What's so funny?" 

Hotaru slowly stopped laughing. "Oh, nothing. But maybe I'm giving you too much credit for intelligence, if you can't figure that one out." 

"What?" 

"I'll give you a clue, Potter," Hotaru said with a smirk. "It all has something to do with pulling pigtails, with the roles reversed." 

It took a little time to register, but then it dawned on Harry. "You like me?" he asked in a surprised voice. 

Hotaru grimaced and shook her head. "Not to quite that extent. I don't like you as a girlfriend would like her boyfriend. Honestly, I don't really even like you as a friend." 

"Then why the analogy?" 

Hotaru shrugged. "Think about it for a while. When you do, come and see me." 

As Hotaru walked off, Harry stood there, staring after her. 

If she didn't like him in the least, then why the analogy? Maybe he should ask Hermione. She would know. She was a girl after all, and very smart. 

- 

"She said what?" 

Harry rolled his eyes at Hermione. "You heard me." He had just finished recounting the tale of what happened. He would rather like Hermione's advice more than a lecture. "Now, what do you think of it? I can't make it out." 

Hermione sighed. "Why are you even bothering? She's nothing but trouble." 

"Yes, yes, I've heard it all before. But I don't honestly think she's that bad," he argued. 

"Not that bad? She's like a female Draco Malfoy! She's always insulting us!" 

Harry was relieved that Ron wasn't in the room. He didn't think his best mate would be able to take the fact that he actually, sort of, liked Hotaru Tomoe. It would be just like him telling Ron he was going off to get married to Draco Malfoy. It'd kill him. 

"Yeah, but I think she does it to get to me," he argued again. He didn't want to sound as if his ego was inflated, but that's what Hotaru was implying when she said all of those things. "So, I need your advice, Hermione. As a nuetral friend, not an anti-Hotaru Tomoe person." 

Once again, she sighed. "All right, fine. You're right, she does it just to get to you. She probably wants to spend time with you, but she doesn't really like you as a friend yet. That's my honest, neutral opinion. Now, can I just say how much I really dislike her?" 

Harry ignored that last part. "So what do I do now?" 

Hermione looked at the entrance to the common room before looking back down at her book. "Talk to her. She obviously wants to get to know you. She's doing it the only way she knows how." 

Harry's face brightened considerably. "Thanks, 'Mione," he replied after running through the portrait hole. Advanced Potions wasn't for another forty-five minutes. Good, that was ample time to talk to her. 

He skidded to a stop in the middle of an four-way intersection. But...where was she? 

- 

"So you think you're finally going to get him to like you enough to trust you soon?" 

Hotaru looked at Blaise as they walked to the library. "Um, yeah. He's really gullible. I almost feel sorry for the poor bloke." 

Draco grimaced. "Feel sorry for _him_? While I'm in the middle of a crisis? How heartless!" 

Hotaru's eyes widened. She knew she wasn't going to get anything from Draco, so she looked at Blaise again. 

Blaise wasn't curious at all. "A letter came for him at lunch while you were out flirting with Potter. A _love_ letter, to be exact." 

Hotaru blinked and she saw Draco's face redden. "Well, I know it must be a rather humiliating one, otherwise you wouldn't look so embarrassed. Was it a singing Valentine from Ginny Weasley, perhaps?" 

Draco went redder. "No, for your information. Worse." 

Blaise looked on the edge of bursting into laughter. 

"_Well?_" 

"Guess," Blaise told her. 

Hotaru tried to think of possible suspects. "Would I know her?" 

"And who said it was a her?" Draco grumbled. 

Hotaru giggled. "A _guy_ sent you a _love letter?_ Oh, that is embarrassing. Now let's see. Would I know _him_?" 

Blaise nodded fervently. 

A whole list of guys ran through Hotaru's mind. There was a problem with those guys, however. "Well, that wouldn't be right. The guy in question obviously goes to this school. Besides, Draco's his _son_." 

Draco gave a face that was a cross between gagging and fainting. Blaise thought it was the most hilarious display of being sickened ever. 

"Um, handsome or not?" 

"Not. Most _definitely_ not." 

"Crabbe." 

"No. And don't guess Goyle either. They don't have the mental capacity to send a love letter." 

Hotaru agreed that Draco had a point. The two were about as bright as a 3-watt bulb. "You need to narrow it down. Give me the house. And tell me whether or not I'd know them from away from Hogwarts." 

Blaise answered immediately, before Draco could shut him up. "Ravenclaw and yes." 

"What year?" 

"Ours." 

"Terry Boot?" 

"No. Did we establish that the suspect is _horrifying_? Terry Boot is rather handsome," Blaise replied. Hotaru gave him a surprised look, and Blaise quickly covered it up. "What? Don't girls look at other girls and say, 'Oh, she's pretty. No wonder that guy's going out with her.'?" 

"Uh-huh." Hotaru was beginning to suspect that Blaise wasn't as straight as she thought. 

"I'm surprised you haven't gotten it yet. I thought you knew everything," Draco drawled with little enthusiasm. 

Hotaru smiled wickedly. "Well, I could always read your mind. But what fun would there be in that?" she asked sweetly. 

"Yeah, don't read my mind," Draco demanded. 

"Mine either," Blaise chimed in. 

Hotaru sighed. "You two act like you have some sort of deep, dark secret. Well, it's going to come out of the closet one of these days." 

Blaise reddened considerably. Draco laughed at him. 

"Um, excuse me?" asked a voice. 

Hotaru, Blaise, and Draco all stood erect, scowls taking place immediately on their faces. Hotaru wondered for a moment if that was why people always thought they were laughing cruelly at someone else's expence. 

"What do you want, Potter?" asked Draco, in a cruel drawl. 

Or maybe, that was why. They went from levity to immediate hatred in mere seconds. 

Harry glared at Draco, but looked at Hotaru. "I was wondering if I could talk to you, Tomoe." 

Hotaru sighed. "No, you can't. I was on my way to a study group. We're making sure everything is all right for our next class." Then a thought occured to her. "Unless, you'd like to join us." 

Harry took once glance at Blaise and Draco's scowling faces and nearly blew up with rage. "No, I think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer though. I'll see you around." With that, he walked at a leisurely pace down the corridor, eager to hear any comments they may make about his idiotic display. 

"Can you believe that stupid Gryffindor? Thinking he could just talk to you out of the blue?" Draco asked, incredulously. 

In fact, he'd follow them. He wanted to hear this. He didn't like people talking about him behind his back. And this way, he'd at least be able to defend himself if they said something particularly nasty. 

Hotaru sighed. "Has anyone ever told you that you talk to much, Draco?" she asked in a bored tone. 

"All the time," came Blaise's reply. "But does he listen? Never. People tell him that his ego's too big, he's too cruel to others, and that he's a snobbish little prat. But the only thing he get's angry about is 'You're looking mighty hideous today, Draco' and 'Even Harry Potter can do that, you idiot'." 

Hotaru giggled. "Is that so?" 

Draco blushed. "Oh shut up, you two. I don't find this teasing funny. You are permanently scarring me." They laughed even harder. "You'll see. I'll grow up to be some paranoid schizophrenic psychopath. And I'll go on a bloody killing spree every time someone teases me." 

"I hate to break it to you, but you're already a paranoid schizophrenic psychopath," Blaise teased. 

"I'm not schizophrenic!" Draco shouted. 

"Okay, okay. Quiet your voices down a bit. We're in a _library_. That sort of thing is forbidden, remember?" Hotaru asked, trying to fight the tremors of laughter coursing throughout her body. 

Harry stared at this scene with astonishment. They were Slytherins...but they weren't acting like complete bastards either. That didn't quite fit. It had to be some sort of cover. It had to be. They were acting almost like..._normal teenagers_. Was a Slytherin capable of that? Weren't they all Death Eaters bent on destroying Harry Potter? 

"So, let me see your notes, Blaise. I know I'm forgetting something," said Hotaru as she grabbed Zabini's notes without his permission. 

Draco and Blaise were sharing their notes because Blaise's were in Hotaru's grasp. Hotaru was chewing on the top of her pen, scanning the sheet. "Blaise, you idiot, you don't mix wolfsbane and beetle eyes." 

Blaise blinked and moved over to Hotaru. "Where did I write that?" 

Hotaru pointed. "There. I think you got it confused with this potion," she said, going to point to another, "here." 

Blaise looked at the two and let out a short 'ha!'. "What do you know? Well, it _was_ nearly two in the morning when I wrote this. And Draco was distracting me." 

Draco's head popped up and he glared. "I was bored. And you were boring me with your studying." 

Hotaru giggled again. "It wouldn't hurt _you_ to study once in a while." 

Draco leaned back his chair and looked over his paper. "I _do_ study for your information. But I have a photographic memory and I don't need to look over things but maybe three or four times before I memorise them." 

Hotaru and Blaise shook their heads simultaneously. "Whatever." Hotaru gave Blaise his notes back. "Half of an hour before Potions. Maybe we should exchange notes? I'll take Draco's. I've already seen Blaise's." 

Draco nodded, and gave Hotaru his paper. Hotaru gave her paper to Blaise and Blaise gave his to Draco. They each read silently. They each had the same calm, analytical expression on their face. 

Harry blinked back surprise. This was the oddest moment of his life. He had never really seen the Slytherins, let alone Draco Malfoy, act without malice. There was teasing, but it wasn't intentionally malevolent. 

And then, when Harry tried to get a closer look, he placed his hand on an opened book. It snapped shut, ferocious jaws clamping down on it. He let out a shout of surprise and pain and tried to get the book off of his hand. There was already blood. 

Hotaru, Blaise, and Draco looked up. Madam Pince was already on her way over. Hotaru ran over to him. "Potter! What are you doing here?" she cried, outraged. 

Harry looked up at her, tears in the corners of his eyes from trying to suppress the pain in his hand. The book was about to cut off his hand. He needed it off--he didn't need a lecture on eavesdropping. 

Hotaru looked at his hand that was attached to the book. "Well, I suppose that's enough to get you back for eavesdropping. Hotaru took the book and pet the spine. It trembled, stopped biting, and let go of Harry's hand. At that point, it looked very much like a regular book. 

As Harry looked at the book, he realised it was the same book that Hagrid issued to his third year class, his first year of teaching. But then the excessive bleeding in his right hand needed more attention. He grabbed it after Hotaru saw it. 

"Well, that's some bite, isn't it?" she asked with morbid curiosity. 

"Oh, my goodness!" cried Madam Pince as she got to him. "We must get you to the hospital wing immediately." 

"Relax, Madam Pince. I'll take him," Hotaru offered pleasently. 

Draco and Blaise's eyebrows raised, but they said nothing. In fact, they went back to reading their notes. Harry was a bit shocked that they didn't shoot out any insults. 

Hotaru practically pulled Harry out of that library. 

After a minute or so, the scenery began to look out of place. In fact, it looked as if they were on their way to the Gryffindor Common Room. "Um...maybe you're lost? This isn't the way to the hospital wing." 

Hotaru, her eyes narrowed, spoke in a hollow tone. "I know that. We aren't going to the hospital wing. Follow me and keep that trap of yours shut." 

Harry was about to protest, but really didn't feel he had enough energy to. So, he obeyed. He followed her into the dark corridor past the Gryffindor Common Room. He followed her past an area he rarely went in. And he followed her into the abandoned classroom that he never knew was there (how did she?). But, damn it, she better have a good reason. 

"All right, sit there." 

Harry blinked at the command. He sat down on the desk and faced her. "Tomoe, what are we doing in here?" 

"Relax. Anyone who saw us will think we've ran away to snog in peace." 

"What?! Tomoe, I--." 

Hotaru sighed and walked up to him after locking the door. "You're so paranoid. Give me your hand." 

Harry gave her his left hand, the unharmed one. 

"The injured one, you idiot." 

He felt a little stupid at this point. Of course! Why didn't he trust her intentions to begin with? She wasn't going to try anything. They've only known each other for a little over two days! 

Hotaru examined in carefully. "Yeah, this would've taken a while to heal if Madam Pomfrey got a hold of you. And, you would've had to deal with the old bat's constant yammering about your health." Hotaru clicked her tongue and smiled up at Harry. "You're lucky I'm here, kid." 

Harry was about to object being called 'kid', but then the most amazing thing happened. 

Hotaru hovered her hand over the wounded area. 

"Tomoe, what are you--?" 

"Sh," she hushed. "I need to concentrate." She wasn't lying. In the millions of years she had lived, she never mastered healing. It was something she had to concentrate to do. It wasn't like the powers of death that she had. It was probably because taking life and harming was far easier and took less self control, and healing was something that you had to put your mind to. 

Perspiration began to form on her head and slowly, the familiar purple light spilled from her palm. She let out the breath she didn't even know she had been holding, and let the light heal Harry. 

As Harry stared at the purple light, he began to panic. Was she trying to kill him with smoldering purple light? Was that even possible? But the smoldering purple light wasn't even hot at all. In fact, it sent shivers through his body, especially on the gashes on his hand. And to his amazement, they slowly began to disappear. 

When Hotaru pulled her hand away, she was breathing hard and sweating profusely. She leaned against the desk behind her. 

Harry stared incredulously. "What did you just do?" he asked in a slow voice. 

Hotaru tried to regulate her breathing, but with no luck. _Any second now..._ she thought to herself. Meanwhile, she tried to answer him. "I healed you. Another...one of my...many...talents..." she replied, short of breath. 

Harry ran a few fingers over the non-existant wounds. "Healed me," he repeated. "With a strange purple light? What's going on? How did you do that?" 

Hotaru met Harry's eyes. "It's like...Parseltongue...some people...are born with...it..." Why wasn't her breathing normal yet? Maybe it was because she had to use extra energy to heal someone else's wounds. 

"You were born with the ability to speak Parseltongue _and_ heal people with purple light? I don't believe it. What's going on?" he asked. "And are Zabini and Malfoy aware of this 'talent'?" 

"No, they know nothing of it." She didn't bother with the first question. 

"And...why not? Did you just feel compelled to show me for no reason?" 

Hotaru grabbed his hand, running her fingers over it lightly. Now that she was breathing normally again, she could transfer all of the blood lost into his body. A shimmering purple light began to seep into his pores and run through his veins. It was an icy chill. 

He wrenched his hand from her grasp. "Enough! Tell me what's going on!" 

Hotaru stood, using the desk for a bit of support. "I can't. We have Potions in less than ten minutes. Come on, or we'll be late." 

As Hotaru exited, Harry re-examined his hand. His eyes were narrowed, set in a glare. He turned his hand over and over, feeling somewhat better--as if a gallon of blood _hadn't_ spilled from his hand earlier. 

Just what in all things holy was going on? 

TBC... 

Author's Note: Well? What do you think of it? Maybe I revealed one of her secrets too soon? Hm...maybe I did. Nah. She has plenty more. Sorry to those of you who wanted to see Hagrid freaked out (sickos...), but I just didn't think it would fit this chapter. What with Helios and Trinity making their appearances. Helios won't be a major character in this story, but he does make an appearance in the next chapter, so don't worry. And Trinity becomes a more important character later on as well. I think, maybe, Setsuna will be making an appearance in the next chapter as well. Oh! And can you believe it's only day two in the Hogwarts world? Man, and we're already on chapter five. This is insane. Time has to pass somewhere.... Um, yeah. Okay, so please review! Matchbox Twenty rocks! And so does orange chicken and lo mein from Panda Express. Mata ne! 

-Deirdre Blair 


	6. Mysterious Prince

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: See previous chapters. 

Summary: Now that Hotaru reveals a little more about herself, Harry becomes more and more intrigued. But complications arise and something and someone else needs Hotaru's undivided attention. Could this cause trouble in her plans? It could. 

Author's Note: Can you believe it? Chapter Six, finally!!! Wow. Thank you so, so much for your reviews. This chapter, I believe, was the hardest one to write for me and I hope you enjoy it. To **Damia**: I'm _so_ impressed with your review. You ventured into the story more than I had intended, and I thank you so much for that. Everyone, keep up the reviews! They're wonderful! You guys...you're just so great! 

Sorry it's taken me a while to update. I've been hooked on the Gamecube version of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Um, actually it was a promotional disk that came with the console itself. But I've gotten hooked and I didn't even think about this story while I was off fighting baddies. But here's chapter six! 

Rating: PG13 

Genre: Drama/Romance 

Pairing: Harry/Hotaru, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Blaise 

Warnings: **Male/Male SLASH**

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter Six  
Mysterious Prince**

_Previously on **Tragic Angel**... _

~"The first creature we're going to study this year is going to be the pegasus. We just recently got a whole herd of 'em this past summer. There's gonna be enough for one per three people. So, get in yer groups and I'll bring 'em out." 

"He-Helios?" Hotaru whispered.~ 

~This is Trinity. She has been my companion for nearly one hundred years, explained Helios. While I am gone, she will watch over you.~ 

~"But is that really surviving? Living a lie?" 

Hotaru sneered. "Surviving is staying alive. Living a lie is still living."~ 

~Perspiration began to form on her head and slowly, the familiar purple light spilled from her palm. She let out the breath she didn't even know she had been holding, and let the light heal Harry. 

Harry stared incredulously. "What did you just do?" he asked in a slow voice.~ 

~As Hotaru exited, Harry re-examined his hand. His eyes were narrowed, set in a glare. He turned his hand over and over, feeling somewhat better--as if a gallon of blood hadn't spilled from his hand earlier. 

Just what in all things holy was going on?~ 

- 

It was time for Advanced Potions, and Harry had made it on time after all. Hermione gave him a reprimanding glare on his almost-too-late arrival. He smiled apologetically, glanced quickly at Hotaru, and settled into his seat. 

And at that very moment, he wished that he had studied like Hotaru, Blaise, and Draco. There was a pop quiz on everything they read the night before. 

As Snape saw Harry's panicked look, he smirked. "Not ready, Mr. Potter?" he asked, not surprised. "Maybe I didn't make myself perfectly clear before. This is an _advanced_ class and you will be forced to behave more responsibly." 

Harry was still panicking when he managed to scowl and grumble, "No, I'm ready." 

Well, he _had_ read the material, but didn't study as he should have. Instead, he chose to spy on the Slytherins. Yeah, he was well on his way to becoming an Auror--definitely making wonderful decisions. Didn't Hotaru once tell him that he acted upon his impulse too much? Maybe he did. 

However, realising his mistake would do nothing for him. As the questions were written on the board, his heart was going at a rapid pace. He clenched his quill before reading the first question. 

- 

Blaise pouted as they handed in their parchment. 

"Oh, what's your problem?" Hotaru asked. 

Blaise gloomily sat on his stool. "Those questions were really...precise. I mean, how does he expect us to remember _everything_ that we read? That's impossible." 

Hotaru had an incredulous smile on her face as she shook her head and sighed. "I don't know what you're talking about, Blaise. I mean, I saw the length of all of your answers. They were a little...over the top if anything. I don't think he wanted an essay for each of them." 

"Of course, I know _I_ got everything right. The quiz was easy enough for me," Draco said with a charming smirk. 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, all hail the great Draco Malfoy. May we all bask in the golden light of his godly glory." Hotaru bowed mockingly, dramatically. "I bow to you, my Lordship." 

Draco rolled his eyes. "Your sincerity is enthralling," he drawled. 

Hotaru chuckled. 

- 

Harry watched their whole exchange. He _knew_ he should've studied. They all looked pretty confident that their answers were correct. Meanwhile, he only put what came to mind with each of the questions. 

"Well, don't worry, Harry. Most of the questions were common sense questions, anyway," Hermione replied, trying to cheer him up. 

Harry shook his head. "I don't have a lot of that, Hermione. Remember? I chose spying on the Slytherins instead of last-minute studying. I'm a complete and utter failure. I might as well quit this whole subject all together." 

Hermione's eyes widened. "But, then you'd be going back on your word. You promised you'd stay with this subject." 

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Hermione, do you even know _why_ I took this course?" 

Hermione shook her head. 

"Me neither." 

Harry felt eyes on him, and looked up to find himself staring directly into a pair of very curious violet orbs. Upon that connection, the owner smirked and teased Blaise Zabini in such a way that it made Zabini sputter indignantly. Harry wondered what she said. 

"Harry?" 

She was such a mystery, that Hotaru Tomoe. He wanted to get to know her more. He knew there was a whole other side to her that nobody ever got to see. But he wanted to see that side of her. He was quite sure he'd like it. 

"Hey, Harry?" 

Why he was thinking about Hotaru, he didn't know. He was experiencing a drastic change in feelings towards her since yesterday, when he first met her formally. At this point, he didn't know what to make of his feelings. He knew he didn't hate her, despite her scolding remarks about his friends. And he knew he didn't like her a lot either. She was...just different. She was something he wanted to figure out. Like a puzzle. 

"Harry!" 

Harry jumped, Hermione's whisper loud in his ear. He blinked and looked around. The students were just getting settled back down and Snape would begin the real lesson. What the lesson was, he didn't know. But he wasn't too excited, either. Although, he saw out of the corner of his eye, that Hotaru, Draco, and Blaise were very excited. 

Harry looked at Hermione, who was staring indignantly at him. "Yeah?" 

Hermione huffed. "Never mind." 

"All right, get in your seats and quiet down!" Snape roared over the din of the class. Everyone became quiet immediately, their attention focused on the Potions Master. 

"Today, and during a period of two weeks, we'll be concocting a Telepathy Potion. You've read about it in your books. It's a very complex spell, and if one thing goes wrong, you could be broadcasting your most personal thoughts into every mind of every person in this country," Snape informed. "The purpose of this potion is to share voluntary thoughts to only one other person--the person you'll be partnered up with." 

The class knew better than to whisper amongst themselves. Snape seemed both disappointed and proud. "Pair up with one other person in this room, now. If you are left without a partner, you will be forced to work with either me or someone of my choosing." 

Snape gave them three minutes exactly to partner up with someone. Harry saw Hotaru walking his way and was prepared for a situation much like that in Defence Against the Dark Arts. However, he saw her veer to his right and walk right up to Dean Thomas. 

"Hello. Would you like to be my partner?" Hotaru asked in a rather civil, polite tone. 

Dean, almost unsure of what to do, nodded. Hotaru smiled and sat in the empty seat next to Dean. 

Harry just didn't understand. Why didn't she choose him? Wasn't she trying to get to _him_? Maybe she was toying with him. Yes, that was so Slytherin-like. He sat down hard in his chair. Hermione scowled. "Well, don't look so enthusiastic about being my partner." 

Harry blinked. "Oh, sorry, Hermione. I just..." 

"You were just disappointed that she didn't choose you, I know," she said in a small voice. She sat, staring forward. Harry saw the corner of her eye twitch somewhat. She was very angry. 

He heard Hotaru engage in a discussion he didn't understand with Dean behind him. He knew they were talking about Potion theories. But he honestly didn't understand a single word. It was then he realised that Hotaru was probably smarter than he could ever be. She even fascinated Dean, who was second to Hermione in intelligence. He could even see Hermione perk up at certain parts of their conversation. 

Snape interrupted everyone and told them what to do. They were to gather the ingredients, and begin working on their potion. But it'd take at least two weeks to make and get ready. Snape listed the ingredients on the board, and the students got up and retrieved them. 

As the groups worked, Snape monitored each station. He stopped at Hermione and Harry's station and sneered. He didn't give any comments on their work, and then he went to Dean and Hotaru's station. 

He watched them very carefully. 

Hotaru looked up at him. She was bold enough to say, "May I help you, professor? You've been staring for at least five minutes." 

Snape didn't even twitch. "I'm monitoring your work." 

"And what do you have to say of _our_ work as of this point?" 

Dean looked at Hotaru and smiled a small smile, a smile that knew she wasn't going to let a Slytherin take all of the credit. 

"So far, you are doing very well. You should continue at this rate, or risk failing entirely," he replied as he went to the next group. 

Dean leaned close to Hotaru and whispered, "I can't believe you just said that." Neither could Harry. 

"What? Just because I'm a Slytherin, does _not_ mean that I don't like giving credit to those who earn it. The Slytherin reputation doesn't extend to me." 

Dean shook his head, slicing his billywig sting. "You sure don't act that way with Potter's friends." 

Hotaru looked at the back of Hermione and Harry's heads, which had stilled noticeably. She looked back at her wolfsbane. "It's nothing personal to Weasley or Granger." 

"Then what is it?" 

Hotaru flashed a grin. "Do you honestly think I could get that sort of attention from him any other way?" 

Harry's breath caught in his throat. 

- 

A little girl of about eleven sat in a white canopy bed, her knees hugged to her chest. Her cheek lay on her knees. She had long, very long, pink hair that curled around her body and made her look like a little princess. 

This red-eyed girl was a princess, however. Princess Serenity of Crystal Tokyo. However, she was commonly called "Chibiusa" by her dear friends. And little Miss Chibiusa was frightened to death. 

She had sent Helios, her beloved pegasus, out to go talk to Hotaru. She wanted Helios to inform Hotaru of the crisis in Tokyo, so Hotaru could save the day. 

Hotaru was also Chibiusa's dearest friend, and that was part of the reason she wanted Hotaru back. She missed Hotaru, and everything they would do together. Riding roller coasters, have picnics, and have slumber parties nearly every week. She missed having a best friend. 

Oh, why did Hotaru-chan have to leave? Why would she want another life? Wasn't this life good for her? Maybe it was her. Maybe she, Chibiusa, was too needy and dependent. Tears began to surface to her eyes. 

"Hotaru-chan...I promise I won't be a little kid anymore if you come back...please, Hotaru-chan..." Chibiusa mumbled as a slight wind played with her bangs. She looked up to see Helios, in human form, standing at her bedpost. 

Her face brightened considerably. "Helios-kun!" 

Helios didn't smile back, and instead sat down next to her on the bed. "Chibiusa-san, why have you been crying?" he asked as he wiped a tear with his index finger. 

Chibiusa's smile faltered a little bit. "I was missing Hotaru-chan. Did you talk to her, Helios-kun? Is she coming back?" she asked hopefully. 

Helios looked away. "No. No, she's not coming back. She said she's _never_ coming back...no matter what." 

Chibiusa felt a tremor of sobs rise. She choked them back, and stared at her bed sheets. "E-even after you told her about what happened?" 

Helios nodded. "Chibiusa-san, she already knew." 

"He-Helios-kun?" she looked at him with wide, tear-soaked eyes. "Did I just lose my best friend?" 

Helios's breath caught in his throat and he shook his head. "Don't be silly." 

"Was it me? Am I the reason she doesn't want to come back? Did I annoy her? Did I behave like a little brat--?" she was cut off by a finger on her lips. 

"No. You were a very good friend. And it's not you," Helios replied with determination. "Hotaru doesn't want to come back for reasons far deeper than friendship. It has _nothing_ to do with you." 

Chibiusa felt into Helios, nuzzling herself into his white shirt. "What could be deeper than friendship, Helios-kun?" 

Helios looked into the distance, his hand on Chibiusa's back. He seemed to think for a moment before whispering, "Betrayal." 

Chibiusa furrowed her brow. "Betrayal?" 

"Mm-hmm..." he replied in a soft voice. 

- 

Amber-yellow eyes took a long gaze at the shadowed school of Hogwarts. The stranger stood in front of the large double doors at the entrance of the castle. His face was unreadable as he stared. There was no fear, excitement--nothing at all. His face was a steel mask. 

"So," he said in a smooth voice. "_This_ the famous Hogwarts." 

As if on cue, the double doors opened to reveal Professor McGonagall. Her eyebrows rose as she looked the boy over. "You must be Yue." 

The boy smirked before following her in. 

- 

Advanced Potions was done and over with for that day and Hotaru was a bit disappointed. She really wanted to stay longer, but Snape had insisted that she leave. Obviously, he didn't know her passion for Potions. She bid a friendly farewell to Dean Thomas before following Blaise and Draco out and to the Great Hall. 

The three took their usual seats. Then, a rather cheerful Pansy Parkinson made her way up to them. "Hey, did any of you hear?" 

Hotaru blinked, while Draco and Blaise exchanged glances. "Hear what?" Draco asked. 

Pansy grinned indulgently. She took a seat next to Draco, draping herself over him. Draco looked a little peeved, but he said nothing. "Well," she said in a sing-song voice. "It seems as if we're going to have another exchange student. Hannah Abbot saw him, told Lisa Turpin, who told Su Li, who just finished telling me about the new boy. In Hannah's opinion, he's just dreamy. Nobody knows who he is, but the rumour is spreading like wildfire." 

"With help from you," Blaise muttered. He didn't particularly dislike Pansy, but he didn't condone her rumour-spreading habits. He hated rumours. "And where's the proof?" 

Pansy shrugged. "I hear he's supposed to be introduced tonight." With that, she hurried off to whisper something about the supposed new student to Millicent Bulstrode. 

Hotaru sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, Draco, how could you ever stand her?" 

Draco pouted. "Pansy's not _that_ bad. She has some good qualities." 

Blaise snorted. "Yeah, well that's because you went out with her for two years. If you spend time with someone long enough, you're bound to see _something_ good about them. She's just like you, Draco. Only, she's a girl and is slightly more emotional." 

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Pansy and I aren't that much alike, Blaise. You're exaggerating." 

Hotaru waved him off. "Even so, you went out with her?" 

Draco sighed. "Yes, even though it's none of your business. But we broke it off. We don't...have much in common. In fact, Blaise and Pansy have more in common with each other than Pansy and I ever did," Draco added with a smirk. 

Hotaru furrowed her eyebrows while Blaise choked. "Draco, cut it out," he reprimanded. 

"Is there something I'm missing here?" 

Blaise shook his head fervently. "No, no, no...you're missing nothing. Draco's just being a _prat_," Blaise replied, giving Draco a hard kick in the shin, under the table. 

Draco glared and rubbed his shin. "That's not smart, Blaise. I need to be in perfect shape this year. Kicking me in the shin isn't going to ensure our victory over Gryffindor." 

Hotaru's eyebrows rose. "Oh? Are you talking about Quidditch?" 

Draco looked at her immediately. "You play?" he asked, surprised. 

Hotaru laughed and shook her head. "No, of course not. I can't really fly on a broom. I mean, I get from here to there, but actually flying--no. I think if we could fly without a broom, I'd be better at that." 

Blaise nodded and agreed whole-heartedly. "I never was much of a Quidditch fanatic like Draco here. I have excellent reflexes, but I'm a terrible flyer." 

Suddenly, the entire hall silenced gradually as they saw the Headmaster stand up and stare upon them all. There were hushed whispers around the room--all concerning the stool and Sorting Hat that were on the "stage". 

When everyone was quiet, and all attention was focused on him, Dumbledore spoke. "Good evening, everyone. I hope the past two days have been fun for you. I have excellent news. A transfer student will be among us now. Everyone, I'd like you to meet Yue Takada." 

Through the double doors that led to the Great Hall, came a boy of about sixteen years old. There were much more whispers about him now. He had amber-yellow eyes that seemed to be sorrowful and calm at the same time. His face was very fair-looking. He was more beautiful than handsome, however, and would've looked very much like a girl if not for the lack of feminine qualities elsewhere. 

He had a slender aesthetic, very thin and rather short, and seemed to be extremely slender. His hair was dark violet and a little unruly, but looked silky and almost wistful. He had a slender neck, almost pouty lips, and a straight, sort of pointy nose. It was perfect for his face. 

He had the fluid grace of a cat, as he walked up to the Sorting Hat. Every step looked as if it barely touched the floor. 

Yue sat on the stool, his face expressionless. The Sorting Hat was placed upon Yue's head immediately and all remained silent. 

"Now, aren't you an interesting one?" the hat said aloud. The boy remained emotionless. "You possess the cunning spirit of a Slytherin, the courageous nature of a Gryffindor, the capacity for loyalty of a Hufflepuff--although it seems as if you don't put that to much use--and the notorious intellect of a Ravenclaw. This _is_ a rather difficult decision." 

Yue just sat there. Then suddenly, his eyes moved and connected to Hotaru's gaze without first scanning the hall. He stared deeply into her eyes. 

Hotaru felt herself shiver. She sensed great power waves from him. She couldn't quite place the emotions that came with it. But he was very, very powerful. And immediately, she knew he was no ordinary wizard. That level of magic didn't exist in anyone but senshi. 

"You seem to have a natural great power within you and have the potential to be one of the greatest wizards to ever live. Slytherin could help you on your road to glory," the hat told him. 

Harry's eyes widened as he heard that. The hat had told him the exact same thing. Who was this guy? 

Yue didn't even seem fazed by the hat's analysis. 

"It's a hard decision between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Both houses would be rewarding in the future. I'm afraid I must leave it up to you on which house you want. I'm stumped," the hat informed. 

Yue once again looked at Hotaru, his eyes locking onto hers. Several seconds passed before he said, in a smooth voice, "Gryffindor." 

"Gryffindor it is, then!" the hat announced. 

The Sorting Hat was pulled off of Yue's head and he walked over to the Gryffindor table. His gaze remained locked on Hotaru's. 

Harry saw this exchange of looks and saw Hotaru start to tremble. She was shaking terribly and he had the sudden urge to run over to her to see what was going on. Yue sat three seats down from him, across from Seamus. 

Harry looked back at Hotaru and saw that Blaise was comforting her--well, as comforting as a Slytherin could be. Harry knew Blaise was speaking calming words to her, while glaring at Yue as if he were the Black Death. Draco was watching with as much curiosity as Harry was. 

Although, he seemed to be more interested in Yue than Hotaru. 

- 

As dinner ended that night, Hotaru, Blaise, and Draco walked together to the Slytherin Common Room. Or at least, they walked on their way to it. They were interrupted by a certain Yue Takada. 

"Hotaru Tomoe," Yue spoke in a dead tone. 

Hotaru halted in her steps, and turned around, meeting eyes with the mysterious stranger. "Yes?" she asked in a light, inquiring voice. "What do you want?" 

A few Gryffindors stopped as well. Among them were Ron, Hermione, Harry, Dean, Seamus, Neville, and others. 

Yue walked up to her, and grabbed her elbow. "Come with me." 

Blaise protested, his wand withdrawn, ready to kill. "Get off of her." 

Hotaru put a hand up, jerked her elbow out of his grasp, and looked at Blaise. "I'll be okay. Yue-san and I are going to have a little chat." The longer Yue was around Hotaru, the more familiar his magic felt to her. She needed answers. 

Reluctantly, Blaise nodded. He dragged Draco with him to the Slytherin Common Room. 

Hotaru looked at Harry. "There won't be a show today. You might as well go back to your dormitory." 

Hotaru and Yue left so abruptly, that she didn't even see if they left or not. 

- 

Yue and Hotaru walked together in silence until they reached the Quidditch pitch. They both stood in the centre, at least thirty feet apart. 

"Why do I feel as if I know you? Or at least, your magical signature?" Hotaru asked, not bothering to be discrete. She had a strong feeling that Yue already knew she had been a senshi. 

Yue smirked. Hotaru admitted that it looked rather dark and handsome on his face. It made him resemble the way Blaise always looked. His eyes flashed with great power. "I'm not surprised you don't remember me," he spoke his accustomed smooth voice. 

"Are you going to tell me?" Hotaru asked, growing impatient. She had to stay on her guard. The energy she sensed in him was almost too much to handle. It made her slightly dizzy. She raised her own energy level--surrounding herself with that Saturn magical field she used to always have. It was dangerous to do this, however, because Voldemort might be able to sense it. 

Yue's smirk grew broader. "We go way back, you and I. Perhaps _this_ will refresh your memory..." In the palm of his out-stretched hand was a floating black orb that had two silver vines wrapped around it, though not touching it. Hotaru could faintly see the symbol of Saturn glowing with violet light inside of it. 

Her eyes widened somewhat. It somehow felt...familiar. 

In an instant, the glowing symbol grew brighter until it blinded Hotaru, and she was forced to look away. As suddenly as it had come, the light dimmed and Yue's entire appearance changed. While his hair remained the same, his amber eyes went a shade darker. He now wore two earrings that looked like black crystals. His school uniform changed into something resembling Chinese design. It was made out of black silk and had silver trim. On the back, there was an embroidered black dragon with violet eyes and a silver under-belly. It looked quite menacing. 

In his hand was a long black staff with large blades on either end. A violet ribbon and a silver ribbon tied around the top. His shoes were very Chinese-like, black in colour as well. 

And on his forehead, glowing brightly, was the symbol of Saturn--though definitely a shade darker than Hotaru's. 

Hotaru stood there, astonished. While she stared, she noticed Yue's smirk become broader. This snapped her from her reverie. She must not be caught off-guard. Especially by one who was able to contain this much power. 

However, she could not transform into Sailor Saturn. To become Sailor Saturn again would completely go against everything she was now. She had built a new life for herself and now was not a time to repeat history. No...she couldn't transform. Besides, Voldemort would easily pick up on her sudden increase in power--if he could not already sense Yue's reckless use of it. 

She glared at him, only two other options coming to mind; neither of them were very high on her list. One option was to fight him head on with her Silence Glaive (which she could use without summoning too much of her power--enough power for Voldemort to sense her). That would be dangerous, as he obviously had Saturnian power coursing through his veins, while she only had what a Princess of Saturn had when on an alien planet--not transformed. That amount was not even close to enough. 

The other option was to use her wand. But she knew then and there that would never work. Saturnian power would be able to destroy the flimsy piece of wood before she could mutter the first syllable of a curse. 

Then again...her wand was _special_... 

Her confidence growing steadily stronger, she took out her wand. When Yue saw it, a flicker of amused curiosity flowed through his eyes. For some reason, that look was also very familiar to her--as if she had seen that exact expression on that exact face. She ignored her shivering spine. 

Soon, however, Yue spoke of it. "Now, what are you planning to do with that?" 

Hotaru smirked. "You'll see. You can't just come up to me, reveal Saturnian power you probably _stole_, and expect to get away with it." Yue seemed mortally offended when she accused him of stealing that power, but he said nothing. She suspected that he wasn't attacking her out of sheer morbid curiosity on what she was about to do. 

Hotaru stood there, quite unsure of what to do. How was she supposed to channel her power through the wand without raising the power within her first? She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes. The world around her began to melt into a small drain--except the small drain was in her mind. The music of the world around her beat harmoniously, and loudly, in her ears. She could hear the steady heartbeat of the man in front of her. 

Instantly, she felt a burning sensation on her forehead. She knew he wasn't attacking. He couldn't have been. But she also knew that her symbol wasn't showing up. Then, without so much as a sound to warn her, the bright purple symbol of Saturn blazed on the back of her closed eyelids. 

This must have been it then. She was instinctively channelling her Saturnian power through her wand--the blessed wand. She felt both a surge of power and giddiness. She opened her eyes, made instant eye-contact with Yue, and cried, "_Impedimentia!_" into the wind. 

The curse itself was a weak one--by normal standards. But through her own magic and that of her custom-made wand, it was almost as powerful as the Killing Curse itself. It knocked Yue back a long way, rushing at almost light-speed, until he collided with the Quidditch stadium itself. As he slid limply down the wall, leaving a red streak behind, Hotaru felt a sudden, and over-whelming...fear. 

Without thinking, she ran up to him, pocketing her wand because she knew, somehow, that she didn't need it to begin with. She ran with all of her might towards the battered and broken boy who still wore the combat clothing found on Princes. When she arrived, she fell to her knees, gathered him into her arms and immediately asked if he was all right. 

Apparently, it was only a flesh wound, because he grumbled, "Geez Taru-chan...why'd you have to go and do that? I didn't do anything to you..." he said in almost a whining voice. 

Hotaru found it strangely endearing, and nearly burst with delight that he was all right. But...why? 

Yue looked at her with a knowing grin and brought out the orb again. Only this time, it seemed as if his entire demeanour was being sucked in. In seconds flat, he was back in a normal, school uniform. 

"W-what just happened?" Hotaru asked, to her own disbelief. For once, she did not have the answer. 

Yue looked different somehow, a little less menacing yet still unnervingly mysterious, but also with a normality Hotaru knew she wasn't accustomed to seeing. However, she couldn't be accustomed to seeing anything with him...she never knew him before. Then again... 

"And you called me 'Taru-chan' as if you knew me..." 

Yue yawned, obviously quite bored with this whole ordeal already. Hotaru noticed that he gave the impression of boyish naivety when tired. "Yes, that's because I do." 

Hotaru blinked. "How?" 

"We're joined, you and I." When saying that, he linked his pinkie with hers and brought their two hands up to eye level. 

"Joined?" Hotaru asked with unusual innocent curiosity. 

Yue studied their hands for a moment. "Mm-hmm. We're joined. Two peas in a pod. Almost like brother and sister." 

Hotaru continued to stare inquiringly. 

Yue sighed, a little impatient. "Of course, you don't remember. How could you. Let me help." Instead of transforming into a menacing warrior, he slowly inched closer towards her. She felt a slight brush creep up her cheeks and her breathing become shallow. However, when he leaned his forehead to touch hers, she knew he wasn't going to kiss her. 

Then, another burning sensation coursed through her body. Her forehead was where it hurt the most. It was as if she was on fire--but fire that exceeded the heat of a normal flame. She bit her lip to stop from screaming. 

A hoard of images suddenly began flowing back into her mind. 

Two toddlers running, playing hide-and-go-seek in Saturnian palace gardens. Two adolescents training with each other in a large room with an instructor whose face Hotaru could not see. Although, she knew at once it was Setsuna. Two teenagers goofing around the palace on several occasions. Two people who looked and acted so much like brother and sister, that you'd never guess that they were actually cousins. And then finally, the worst memory of all... 

_"Yue-kun!!! Yue-kun?" cried a teenage Saturnian princess. She was running, frantically searching for any sign of her beloved cousin. Beads of perspiration already adorned her forehead along with her symbol. She had already disposed of the loathsome high heels, but it made running in a long gown no easier. It was the Saturnian princess's coronation day. _

It was supposed to be a joyous event--though based on tragedy. Princess Hotaru's mother had been suddenly killed by an attack from the evil Metallia when she was twelve. They had been participating in an on-going war with the devious creature, and just when it looked as if the good would win, Hotaru's mother was killed and all hope was suddenly diminished. 

It would've been fine for the kingdom itself--in regards to the ruler--for Hotaru's father still lived. But her father was mysteriously suffering from a mental disease that rapidly decreased brain activity, and eventually, any function at all. He was diagnosed within five years of his short reign. He was only given a week longer to live. 

While devastated over her father's condition, Hotaru welcomed the title as Queen of Saturn. Supposedly, on Earth, the planet would go to the next _male_ heir (which would be her cousin Yue Takada). But this wasn't Earth and Earthling rule did not extend to Saturn. The next in line for the throne would be the son _or_ daughter--whichever was first-born. Then it would be cousins and so on. Since Hotaru was an only child (which was very common this generation), she was ensured the throne. 

But during her coronation, something she had actually been looking forward to, Metallia had attacked again with a whole army of minions. There were at least one-hundred thousand demons from the Underworld at Metallia's beck and call. Saturn didn't even stand a chance. The guards had fended the army off while Hotaru retreated into the palace, where she would hopefully be safe. 

Scared, but at the same time undignified, Hotaru ran into the castle. She expected her beloved cousin Yue-kun to follow her. But he never showed up. "You promised, Yue-kun..." Hotaru said in a childishly hopeful voice. 

Years ago, when they were twelve, Yue had promised that if anything had ever happened to Hotaru like what happened to her mother, then Yue would go to the end of the world with her, protecting her with his life. She loved him for that, for his reckless bravery. 

Now, however, she was over-come with worry. What if Yue had ventured off to try and slay the beast itself? No, Yue was smarter than that. He knew that trying to kill Metallia without her and the rest of the combined powers of the senshi would be suicide. He'd never do such a thing. Especially to her. 

"Yue-kun!!!" she cried again, hoping with all of her heart that he was safe. 

Yue...if he was dead, Hotaru would most likely cease to function any longer. He was her special guardian angel. He was her best friend. And he was her shield against the cruelty of the world. He was everything to her--and to lose him because of a stupid and selfish war would tear Hotaru apart. 

Growing up, even though she was a member of the royal family, Hotaru had always been teased viciously. She didn't know what she was doing wrong...or if there was anything wrong about her at all. All she knew was that coming home with bruises from being used as a punching bag was no way to live. 

Then Yue realised what was going on, and hurried to her rescue. Her knight in shining armour, he was. He repeatedly protected her from vicious bullies throughout her life. He was her rock in a desperate situation. And now that the biggest bully of all, in the most desperate situation of all, was here, she was in need of him more than ever. 

Tears clouded her vision. She quickly blinked them away. 

"Taru-chan, what are you doing?" asked a familiar voice. 

Hotaru's head snapped up to see Yue coming out of a dark corridor, sword in hand, and a peculiar and almost amused curiosity on his face. Hotaru ran to him, embracing him like a sister would after having been separated from her brother for an eternity. "Where were you? I was so worried!" 

Yue smiled at her fondly, and placed one hand on her back. "I was off fighting demons and saving the kingdom, what else?" 

Hotaru looked up at him, drying her tears and standing straight up. "It's Metallia. She's come again." 

Yue nodded. "I know. Hotaru, go to the Crystal of Silence. Wait there until you feel my presence approaching. Open the doors only for me. You got it?" Hotaru nodded. "Only for me. You'll be safe so long as you stay within the room of the Crystal of Silence. It'll protect you." 

"But, how do you know?" Hotaru asked, knowing it was a valid question. "The crystal has been dormant for years." 

Yue put a gentle hand on her chin. "Because, you are the Saviour. Hurry, I'll meet you there soon." 

Before Hotaru could ask him what he was planning to do, he sprinted off. Hotaru stood there for a moment, heard a strange noise, and reluctantly sprinted down the winding staircase that would lead to a hall with a thousand doors, that would lead to a special door, which would lead to a stair case with a hundred steps going down, that led to a room with three doors. She'd go in the left door, using her Saturnian magic to open it, and hurry into the circular room with a marble Ancient Greece-styled pillar that was about two feet tall. She'd run up to that and wait until Yue came to save her again. 

It seemed as if years had passed, when it had only been three days. Hotaru had begun to lose hope after the first day, but by now she remained there out of loyalty to Yue. Although she knew Saturn had lost, she was going to wait until Yue returned. 

And when she finally felt his presence, although very dim, she hurried to the door. She opened it, her face a wide grin-- 

--and she nearly screamed. It was Yue, all right, but a battered and beaten Yue. She could barely feel his magical signature anymore. She knelt beside him, heaved him into the room, and shut the door behind her. She brought him up to the crystal. 

"Yue-kun..." she sobbed. She tried her best to heal him with all of the magic she possessed, but that only got rid of the wounds on his body. It did nothing for magical damage. And he was drained entirely. 

His eyes opened slightly. "Taru-chan..." he said slowly and in a strained voice. 

In a watery voice, Hotaru mumbled, "Yue-kun..." 

Yue smiled at her as much as he could, and raised his hand to place it on her cheek. It never made it there, and it suddenly dropped quickly. Hotaru stared at it, then at his face which still had a smile on it. Only now, it looked eerie with his eyes staring at her. Hotaru closed his eyes for him. 

For what seemed like hours, Hotaru sobbed into Yue's chest. When she calmed down, yet with tears still free-flowing, she sat on her knees. She grabbed his sword and laid it on his chest, his hilt at his chin, and put both of his hands on it. Then, she drew an asphodel from her subspace pocket and dropped it gently on his hands. 

Hotaru stood fully now, and she gazed into the Crystal of Silence. It was a mesmerising object. It entranced you the moment you looked at it. Without thinking, she walked up to it and place both of her hands on either side of it, without actually touching it. Her gaze was locked on the crystal. 

Instantly, she felt a huge magical drain. It felt as if the crystal was absorbing every particle of magic inside her. When she could no longer stand or think coherently, she fell backwards, releasing the crystal from her grasp. 

When next Hotaru looked up, she found herself looking into almost worried blue orbs. The face came into view, and she recognised the owner of the blue beauties to be Blaise Zabini. She blinked, and sat up immediately. She looked at her surroundings and gasped. She was in the Slytherin Common Room. But...how did she get there? 

As if reading her mind, Blaise replied, "That Yue kid brought you to the entrance. At the same time, Draco and I just happened to be on our way back from the library. We were suspicious...especially when he didn't say anything. It was a bit creepy...the fondness in which he was looking at you." Blaise paused. "He didn't..._do_ anything to you, did he?" 

Hotaru blinked, completely caught off-guard by Blaise's sudden protectiveness. She had only known the boy a few days, and already he was getting attached. "Uh...define _do_..." Immediately, she knew this was the wrong thing to say. 

Blaise stood up, a maniacal, murderous scowl on his face. He clenched his fists. "That's it. I'm going to cast the Cruciatus curse on him, then tear him limb from bloody limb!" 

Hotaru stood as well, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Whoa! Don't jump to conclusions. We had a talk, Yue and I. Nothing more. I...passed out because I suddenly got a huge headache." 

Blaise raised his eyebrows. "Headache? Do you think that maybe he's a Legilimens?" 

Hotaru cocked her head to the side. _It wouldn't surprise me if he was..._ "No, I don't think so. I know what Legilimency feels like. That wasn't it. I haven't been getting good sleep or nutrition for the past eight years of my life...so maybe that was it." 

Blaise, who was by far still suspicious, nodded in reluctant agreement before settling down in the leather chair. "Still, I'd like to tear him limb from limb." 

"Why?" 

Blaise smirked in a charming way. "I haven't done it in a while and I'm getting withdrawals." 

Hotaru laughed, even though the comment somehow made her uneasy. It was as if she had suddenly reformed a conscience or something. 

One thing was for sure. She needed to talk to Yue, and fast. The memories, they had all come back to her. But they were still cryptically blurry and she had a very difficult time remembering a lot of things. 

But she couldn't do it that night. She was dead tired from all of the power usage and was still a little light-headed due to the sudden return of her memories from the Saturn Kingdom (although she _thought_ she had all of those to begin with), and from the frustration in trying to decipher them. She had a feeling, however, that she wouldn't be getting much sleep for a long, long time. 

TBC... 

Author's Note: Hey! Along with this chapter, I've just finished reading Volume 1 of Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya. I just have one thing to say. **IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY READ THIS SERIES, I SUGGEST YOU TRY TO IMMEDIATELY!!!** I swear, it's a manga all it's own. I especially like Tohru, Uo-chan, Hana-chan, Yuki, and Kyo. I love them so much!!! And the illustrations are so pretty!!! *ahem* All right, now my thoughts on this chapter alone. 

Hm...I introduced another new character. I gave Yue and Hotaru a history. I made a plot point later to be discussed in future chapters. And I did a few other things. All in all, I'm pretty satisfied. I think, if I'm not mistaken, that this is one of my longest chapters to date. I could be wrong, though. Um, so please review! A review from you will be greatly appreciated! Thanks! 

-Deirdre Blair


	7. Changes

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah...see previous chapters...blah, blah, blah... 

Summary: Some things get a little more complicated now that Yue's entered the picture. And Divination's class proves to be very eventful. Could this be the dawn of change? Perhaps... 

Author's Note: Chapter seven...ah, we're here. I never thought it'd turn out this successful. Of course, a year from now, if I could go back and change things, I probably would. But things happen. Anyway, I'm just glad that all of you have stuck with this story. And for those of you who haven't, thanks for reading it in the beginning. Mou...I'm talking as if this is my last chapter. But, we've only just begun! Oh, and the lack of Harry/Hotaru can be explained. I had too many things to do in the last chapter, and a good romance scene would've distracted you! But now, I have made up for that. Plenty of nice Harry/Hotaru stuff to satisfy you. 

Oh, and there's a Divination part coming up. I absolutely do not know _anything_ about Divination. Don't hate me! I'm making everything up. 

Rating: PG13 

Genre: Drama/Romance 

Pairing: Harry/Hotaru, Draco/Blaise, Ron/Hermione 

Warnings: **Male/Male SLASH**

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter Seven**  
Changes

_Previously on **Tragic Angel**... _

~She was such a mystery, that Hotaru Tomoe. He wanted to get to know her more. He knew there was a whole other side to her that nobody ever got to see. But he wanted to see that side of her. He was quite sure he'd like it.~ 

~"Today, and during a period of two weeks, we'll be concocting a Telepathy Potion. You've read about it in your books. It's a very complex spell, and if one thing goes wrong, you could be broadcasting your most personal thoughts into every mind of every person in this country," Snape informed. "The purpose of this potion is to share voluntary thoughts to only one other person--the person you'll be partnered up with."~ 

~"You were just disappointed that she didn't choose you, I know," she said in a small voice. She sat, staring forward. Harry saw the corner of her eye twitch somewhat. She was very angry.~ 

~"He-Helios-kun?" she looked at him with wide, tear-soaked eyes. "Did I just lose my best friend?"~ 

~Chibiusa fell into Helios, nuzzling herself into his white shirt. "What could be deeper than friendship, Helios-kun?" 

Helios looked into the distance, his hand on Chibiusa's back. He seemed to think for a moment before whispering, "Betrayal."~ 

~As if on cue, the double doors opened to reveal Professor McGonagall. Her eyebrows rose as she looked the boy over. "You must be Yue."~ 

~"We're joined, you and I." When saying that, he linked his pinkie with hers and brought their two hands up to eye level.~ 

- 

After Yue had taken Hotaru off, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat around the fire, talking amongst themselves. Neville, Seamus, and Dean had already gone off to different things. Ron and Harry were engaging in their routine chess match, while Hermione sat by the roaring fire and soaked in the pages of her latest book. 

It was just like old times. 

However, they had a topic of discussion that old times didn't. And it would come up eventually. Harry just felt a little guilty that he was the one to bring it up. "How do you think Yue knew Hotaru?" he asked conversationally. 

Hermione, expecting this question, shut her book and set it in her lap. She stared into the fire, eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure. They're both Japanese, but that doesn't mean they know each other. Though, don't they look a little bit alike?" 

Ron looked up. "You think they might be related?" he asked, curious. He didn't think so, but he could've been wrong. 

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. It was just a thought. They both have the same dark violet hair--and dark violet hair is a rare thing indeed. Maybe we should ask Yue when he gets back." 

Just then, they felt the pressure change. Everyone in the room looked up. "What was that?" Hermione asked, a little fearful. 

Harry stood up, looking at the window that was so high up on the wall. It was deep black sky, nearly starless. He furrowed his brow. Something was amiss, yet everything looked normal. "Maybe we should go check it out." 

Harry, Hermione, and Ron hurried out of the entrance, and collided into Makoto Kino. "What are you three doing out here?" she asked in feigned surprise. 

"Um...we were going out to the Quidditch pitch...it's a lovely night and we were thinking of getting a jump-start on our Astronomy homework," Hermione half-lied. 

Makoto's eyebrows lifted. "No, I don't think you should go outside right now." 

"But-." 

"No, Mr. Potter, it isn't safe. Especially not now," Makoto stressed. 

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, a bit peeved. 

Makoto looked out the window that displayed the Quidditch pitch, though did not show inside of it. "It's not yet time for you to know the things that are going on there. Not yet." 

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. "Maybe we should ask Dumbledore what's going on." 

Makoto shook her head, nearly laughing. "Dumbledore's a smart man, so he's probably got it all figured out by now. Destiny has taken a detour and left it all up to one person to decide which way the wind will blow," Makoto replied, sounding uncharacteristically prophetic. "He won't tell you anything yet. It's up to someone else to let you in. I wouldn't go poking my nose into things that aren't my business yet, if I were you." 

Giving up, the three turned around. 

When in the common room, Ron was a little put off. "Don't tell me we're going to give up that easily!" 

Harry, determination glittering in his eyes, continued walking towards his dormitory, and then returned a few minutes later. "We aren't." In his hands, was the Invisibility Cloak. 

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Harry...I don't think we should disobey Professor Kino. She looked like she knew what she was talking about." 

Harry glared at her. "Look, Hermione, I've heard enough prophecies for one lifetime. If I don't see what's going on, see what Kino doesn't want us to, I'll go completely insane." 

Hermione and Ron looked at him wtih curious stares. "What other prophecy have you heard?" 

Harry bit his tongue. "I haven't. Let's just go." 

"I think I'll sit out on this adventure, Harry," Hermione replied shaking her head. "She didn't say we'd never get to find this stuff out, she just said that we shouldn't be let in on it right now." Hermione grabbed her book. 

"Fine! Ron?" Harry looked at his best friend. 

Ron looked torn between his best mate and his love interest. "Well...er..." 

Harry rolled his eyes, threw the cloak over himself, and exited the common room. 

He passed Makoto, though he thought she saw him. Her amused green eyes followed him. But he ignored her. He nearly ran to the Quidditch pitch, and then entered it. He scanned the area, and found two people facing off. He stood where he was. He couldn't see Yue very well, but could see Hotaru with relative ease. 

He saw her stand there, her wand drawn, and then saw her cry the Impedimentia curse, hurling Yue to the other end of the pitch. Harry gasped. The Impedimentia curse wasn't that effective, and it certainly wouldn't knock a person back a hundred feet. In seconds flat, he saw Hotaru hesitate and run to Yue, her wand back in her pocket. 

Wondering what the heck was going on, Harry moved forward a bit to get a better look. Yue had left a blood streak on the wall. He heard her ask if he was all right, and he heard him reply with a whining voice. He had moved close enough to see a fondness spread across her face. 

She asked what had happened, then an orb was brought out. It was then that Harry noticed Yue's different clothes, just before a school uniform returned. Then he heard something a little disturbing. 

"And you called me 'Taru-chan' as you knew me..." 

Yue had yawned while she said that, and looked like a mixture of boredom and fatigue. "Yes, that's because I do," he replied. 

"How?" she asked. 

Harry felt a surge of jealousy when Yue linked his pinkie with Hotaru's and said, "We're joined, you and I." 

"Joined?" she asked. Harry wanted to hug her, break her from her naivety. 

He didn't get to hear the rest of their conversation, because his ears were pounding. Oh yeah, they knew each other all right. They were either reinacting some sort of union, or Hotaru had suffered from some sort of memory loss and he was explaining such a union. When he looked up again, he saw their heads come together. From his angle, it looked as if they were in a deep kiss. 

Yue was going to die. He didn't know why, but Yue was going to suffer severe torture. 

They were both leaning against the wall at this point. Hotaru had broken from the contact and was now curled up in Yue's embrace. He was holding her head to his chest. They were both completely still. He caught a glimpse of Hotaru's forehead and saw the corner of something that was glowing. His eyes narrowed. 

In minutes, it looked as if they were finally going to go inside. But when Yue got up, Hotaru didn't. Harry wondered this, and figured Hotaru fell asleep in his arms. How cute. 

Then Yue looked in his direction. He didn't look furious, he didn't look content, but he did wear a mask of amused curiosity on his features. "You aren't supposed to be here," he said in an equally amused voice. His raised his hand, a wind picked up, and blew the cloak off of Harry. 

"Harry Potter, I thought it was you." 

Harry, his identity revealed, stood up with his wand out. "How did you know I was there? I didn't make any movements, or noises." 

Yue crossed his arms, his wand not even out. He didn't even seem fazed by Harry's weapon. "I'm not like you, Potter, in case you haven't noticed yet. Neither are Hotaru, Makoto, or Setsuna. However," he said. "Now is definitely not the time for you to know why." 

Harry's eyes strayed to Hotaru, who looked dead. "If you've done anything to Hotaru..." 

Yue's eyes flashed. "I would _never_ do anything to her. I love her. I've loved her since the beginning." 

Harry suddenly felt as if his legs were going to give way at any moment. He suddenly felt very heavy, and ultimately cursed gravity. His voiced the only question on his mind. "And does she love you?" he asked in a quiet voice. 

Yue smiled brightly. "Of course she does. It'd be a little odd if she didn't. What are you so upset about?" 

Harry shook his head, feeling defeated. "I'm not sure..." 

Yue's eyes widened with realisation. "You love her too, don't you? But you haven't known her but for...maybe a couple of days?" 

Harry met Yue's eyes instantly. "I don't love her. I don't even like her." He took interest in the ground again. "Well, maybe I like her a little bit. But that doesn't matter. She's yours and that's that." With that, Harry stormed off with his Invisibility Cloak. He suddenly wished he had followed Makoto's orders. 

Yue looked at Hotaru, bemused. He picked her up. "You've been busy while I've been away, haven't you?" 

- 

The next morning, Hotaru felt as if a heavy rock had thrown itself onto her head and repeatedly pummelled her with it. The sunlight drenching the room was much too bright, and the footsteps of her dormmates were much too heavy. Their gossiping was like a flock of raving mad seagulls crying into her ears. Ignoring the slight dizziness and throbbing of her head, Hotaru got out of bed and went into the bathroom, where she would wash up. 

It felt like she had drunk over a hundred ounces of rum the night before. She wondered briefly if she had. However, she didn't have the sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

Hotaru turned on the warm water and took a nice, long shower. She got out, dressed herself, and went about her morning routine. A groan from one of the other girls told her that it was only Wednesday. Hotaru felt like groaning too. 

When Hotaru was dressed in her school uniform and black cloak, she gathered her homework and things and went to the Great Hall for breakfast. 

The whole place was a relentless assault on her senses. The over-whelming scent of pancakes and such things, and the noise level, were almost too much to handle. She gritted her teeth and made her way to the Slytherin table. 

Blaise greeted her with a friendly, but hard, slap on the shoulder. "Well, good morning!" 

Hotaru saw only red and immediately began to strangle Blaise. "Don't. Touch. Me!" she cried. Everything was much too sensitive. She felt someone pulling her off of Blaise. She got to her feet, spun, and saw that it was Draco. 

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Draco asked, a little flabbergasted. 

Hotaru shivered a little, clenched and unclenched her fists, and took a seat. "Sorry..." she mumbled as she fought to tune out the incoherent din of the students. Only a few saw the spectacle. 

"What's your problem, Tomoe?" Blaise asked, suspicious and a little bit hurt--emotionally. 

Hotaru shook her head. "I don't know. Something's wrong though. All of a sudden, everything's too bright, too loud... Or maybe, I'm just really sensitive right now..." she replied, not even bothering to look at the plate in front of her. 

Among those who saw the display, Harry and a few Gryffindors were some of them. 

"Did you see that?!" cried Ron, a little impressed. "Tomoe just started strangling Zabini! I was surprised she didn't deck Malfoy. I would've...for even touching me to begin with." 

Harry just watched the three with shock. When Hotaru went to strangle Zabini, he saw she was incredibly furious. If it had been him, he wouldn't have calmed down. He would've kept throwing his fists. Didn't Tomoe not like Malfoy and Zabini? Hadn't she once said they were awful friends? If that was the case, why didn't she attack them--either verbally or physically? 

Yue's eyes narrowed and a small smile spread on his face. "What are you thinking, Potter?" Yue asked. 

Harry jumped, startled out of his thoughts. "O-oh, nothing really. I just find it strange that Malfoy and Zabini were able to calm Hotaru down that well...without her cursing them into oblivion." 

Yue was a little shocked as well, but it didn't look as if it was because of what she did. "And you think she's the type to do that?" 

Harry nodded without hesitation. "It wouldn't surprise me." 

Yue chewed on a piece of toast, his eyebrows furrowed. He joined in watching Hotaru intently. 

Hotaru felt eyes upon her, and looked over her shoulder. She glared at Harry and Yue. "Idiots...why don't they take a picture? It lasts longer..." she muttered out of the corner of her mouth. 

Blaise looked up at her, the strangulation obviously forgotten. "Huh?" 

Hotaru narrowed her eyes. "Takada and Potter." 

Blaise looked over at them, his eyes gleaming with malice. 

Yue felt shivers. "That's one evil guy," he said aloud--unintentionally. 

Harry looked up. "What? How can you tell?" 

Yue tilted his head a little. "Well...actually, I wouldn't say he was _evil_...to a dangerous extent. More like..._obsessively protective_. But he can give off that aura well, can't he? Fooled even me for a second and I'm an excellent judge of character." 

Harry blinked, not quite understanding. But he didn't say this aloud. "I think all of the Slytherins have that evil aura." 

Yue looked at him, a little more than shocked. "You've got to be kidding me, right?" Harry furrowed his brow. "_Some_ Slytherins, yes. But a lot of them are just misinformed and wouldn't really kill if given the chance. Take that blonde kid for example." 

"Malfoy?" 

"Is that his name? Yes, him. He's _a lot_ of talk. This boy could fill up an ocean with his talk. But he's very little action. Or at least, he's capable of it, but wouldn't do anything about it. It's probably because he doesn't even know he's capable of it. He could be an extraordinary wizard, on either side. If I were you, Potter, I would at least try to get him to be my ally. You must take them where you can get them." 

Harry just stared at him. "How do you know all of this?" he asked, suspicious. 

Yue gave a broad grin. "I've been studying people for a _very_ long time, Potter. As of this point, it doesn't take me long to predict people's personalities. Also, I can see with clear sight what is going on around me." 

Harry, disbelieving, drank down his pumpkin juice. 

Yue Takada scared him a lot. It wasn't the fact that he had a mysterious aura. It was because he knew too much for a person who only just arrived. It was because Yue Takada looked, felt, and even sounded inhuman. It was the same aura Hotaru had, but instead of intriguing him, it frightened him to death. 

He didn't know if he liked Yue being so close to Hotaru. 

- 

The first class of the day was Divination. Blaise and Draco were in Arithmancy while Hotaru went into the Divination classroom. She had heard a rumour that the previous Divination professor had gone mentally insane and now the subject was taught by a centaur by the name of Firenze. 

Hotaru couldn't believe it until class had actually started. A centaur, teaching Divination in a human-infested school? The entire idea was preposterous! Then, Firenze walked from the shadows. 

Everyone looked upon him in awe. Obviously, they were still in shock about the new teacher as well. Hotaru didn't look surprised, but that was because she had become accustomed to hiding it. She just stared at Firenze, who seemed to notice her immediately. 

He didn't say anything, but his eyes flickered over her and another individual for a moment or two. Hotaru looked to her right and saw Yue, who was greeting the centaur with an almost challenging look. 

She had the distinct feeling, although the memories were still blurry, that Yue had been a friend of the centaurs on Earth for centuries. Firenze definitely seemed to be familiar with both of them. 

The bell rang, and class had begun. "Welcome, students, to another year of Divination. Although most of you do not possess the distinct quality that is needed for this subject, I will teach you it regardless." 

Some of the class looked quite upset. 

"First, let me pair you off with your partner for the next eight weeks--while we study natural divination. It opens up to both centaurs, and to gifted humans. However, humans gifted in this sort of divination is extremely rare, so I do expect any of you to progress." 

Once again, there were pouts. 

"When I call out your name, I want you to go to your assigned partner. Then you will take a box from that pile over there. Afterwards, you will go back to your seats." Firenze didn't need to look at a chart. "Hotaru Tomoe and Yue Takada." 

Hotaru wasn't the least surprised she was paired with Yue. But she was a bit disappointed. She had hoped to be paired with Harry, so that she could work her way into getting him to like her even more. She walked over to Yue, didn't speak at all, then retrieved a box. 

They took their seats. 

Minutes later, everyone was paired off. Harry with Ron. Neville with a Hufflepuff named Sera Weston. Lavender with Parvati. Dean with Seamus. Others were paired off, but Hotaru didn't recognise any of them. When everyone had gotten a box and were seated, Firenze began. 

"You'll notice that I've paired you with your best friend, or the person you trust the most. That is crucial at your level. If you were somehow gifted, then you wouldn't want your deepest secrets and desires heard by just anyone, would you? Natural Divination opens up a whole other side of you, if are one of the gifted," Firenze explained. "It deals with the wind, water, nature, and fire. The boxes you hold each carry the basic amount of water, nature, fire, and wind." 

Being ever curious, the entire class opened their boxes. The question on their mind was--how could you box fire and wind? Obviously, there was a way how. There were four glass bottles. The one with the blue lid held water. The one with the green lid held leaves that had come from a tree, a couple of flowers, or grass. The one with the red lid held fire--as unbelievable as it was--swirling within it. The one with the white lid held blowing gusts of wind. You could tell because there were a few specks of dirt in it and they were blowing about randomly. 

Firenze didn't seem to mind. "You'll also notice that in the box, there are two small bowls. They are for the nature and water. You must keep the lids on the wind and fire. If you open the wind, it will be forever gone. If you open the fire, we will all be engulfed in flame." 

Lavender raised her hand and asked the obvious question. "If we can't take out the wind and fire, how are we supposed to use them?" 

Firenze got a gleam in his eye, and he made quick eye-contact with Yue and Hotaru. Hotaru got the feeling that he thought both of them already knew the answer. "_That_, Ms. Brown, is what I will explain to you later. First, we'll work with the easiest one--nature. It's a living thing, so it will be easier for you to hear its voice...if you have the Gift." 

The class was listening intently for directions. 

"Pour the contents into a bowl and set it in front of both of you." The class did as they were told. "Now, I want you to close your eyes, and clear your mind of everything." It looked as if the class was being obedient. "Once everything is clear from your mind, repeat after me. Tok sim ri nor acksi e perim binte mi." 

Blinking, the class looked up at him as if he were insane. Somehow, Hotaru seemed to understand it a little. 

Firenze, a little impatient, translated it. "It's the ancient tongue of Jupiter--the planet governing nature. It means 'open ears to the voices of wisdom before me'. It is the incantation to open your ears to what the plant has to say. Without saying this first, you will not be able to speak with nature." 

"Unless you're from Jupiter..." Hotaru mumbled in a barely audible voice. 

Yue smirked and Firenze shifted a little. "It is the ancient tongue of those who ruled Jupiter. It was only spoken by the Council and the royal family. It was taught to the centaurs long ago. Now, I will speak slower so that you may proceed. Tok sim ri." 

"Tok sim ri," the class chanted. 

"Nor acksi e." 

"Nor acksi e." 

"Perim binte mi." 

"Perim binte mi." 

Suddenly, Hotaru heard a rush of voices hit her ears. She grabbed onto the nearest thing to steady herself, as she felt as if she were about to faint. Yue was grabbing onto her too. 

Hotaru shut her eyes extra hard, trying to block out the whispers that were coming from the flowers in front of her. She only briefly noticed they were asphodel--the flower she given Yue at his death. 

In the rising whispers, Hotaru heard a distant voice. It was saying, "If you are hearing the voices of the plants, then concentrate on my voice alone." She tried, and she succeeded. While the whispers could still be heard, Firenze's voice was heard above them all. 

"This is your assignment: to ask from the wisdom of nature what may come to be. Repeat after me, but only if you hear the whispers. Kusu mi e hei yis tandi ri ta." 

Only four voices--Hotaru, Yue, Harry, and Lavender--whispered the words. It all happened in a matter of seconds, but each fate was different for each person--that was plainly obvious. When the reading was finished, each person opened their eyes and stared wide-eyed at the plants--still focused on them. Each was perspiring beyond normal. 

"Now, to break the connection, repeat after me. Maen hei maknabe tokhan." 

"Maen hei maknabe tokhan," four dead voices whispered. 

In that very instant, it seemed as if Lavender, Hotaru, Yue, and Harry had returned to normal. However, they only seemed like it. But they looked as if they felt like hell. Some of the students noticed that what they thought was sweat near the four's eyes were actually tears. 

They had been mourning the fate of the world. 

"When you have collected yourselves, tell me what you saw. Yue Takada first." 

Yue was the first to recooperate. He looked at Firenze, but his eyes still held that distant, far-away look from before. In a soft voice, he replied, "In centuries to come, if the Chosen Ones fail, then the entire galaxy will be submitted to eternal peril. All light will be gone, all life will be diminished, all hope will be forgotten. That is only a summary of what I saw." His was a hollow voice, ridden of any emotion--as if he were speaking as a third party. He wiped his face on his shirt sleeve. 

Firenze nodded, as if he either approved or was satisfied with Yue's talent. He looked to Lavender. "Lavender Brown, tell me what you have seen." 

Lavender looked up at him as well, still trembling from shock and despair. In a shaky voice, she said, "Everything...barren. Everyone's dead...nothing remains. So many dead bodies...so much blood...so much death. And so much hatred." Lavender began to sob a little. Parvati held her. "Such wretched, pure hatred. Nothing but it remains...everything else is gone. That's what could happen, should the Chosen Ones fail... The land of love and beauty will cease to exist..." 

Hotaru's head snapped up, her eyes wide upon Lavender. 

"Hotaru Tomoe, it is your turn to reveal what you have witnessed." 

Hotaru paid Firenze no attention. She got up, strength having been recovered, and walked over to Lavender. She took Lavender's hand and held it up to her own cheek. "The land of love and beauty..." she whispered as she closed her eyes. "Sh...let me in." 

Hotaru leaned forward, her forehead touching Lavender's. Lavender let out a strained noise as if she were holding in immense pain. Hotaru bit her lip, trying to concentrate. Seconds passed, and Hotaru opened her eyes, and sat back on her heels. "Venus," was all she mumbled as she made her way over to Yue. She looked him directly in the eyes. 

Yue returned the stare, then looked back at Lavender. In words that could not even be made out, Yue spoke to Hotaru. She returned with the same tongue. When Ron looked to Harry to ask if it was Parseltongue, he decided not to. Harry was as baffled as he was. It wasn't Parseltongue. 

_"She is the Chosen One, you think?"_ Yue asked in his native Saturnian tongue. 

Hotaru shook her head. _"I can't be certain. But she descends from Venus. That much is sure. She saw a fortune of Venus. If she were a true Earthling, she'd have seen the fate of Earth. I know we both saw the same thing--the fate of Saturn if the Chosen Ones fail."_

Yue nodded. _"All right, we'll continue this conversation later. We're getting strange looks."_

Hotaru nodded as well and looked at Firenze. "If I told you what I saw, it'd be no different than what Yue saw. We saw the same exact thing--the fate of a world of silence." 

Firenze closed his eyes. "All right. I see. Harry Potter, it is your turn." 

Harry kept his gaze to the floor. "And if I told you what I saw, I'd be breaking a promise to both myself and to someone important." 

Firenze's eyebrows lifted and he seemed to get the message. "I understand." He paused. "Never before have I seen four Gifted ones in one room together. This is interesting, at least. I will speak to Professor Dumbledore about giving you each special classes." 

Hotaru, Harry, Lavender, and Yue looked at each other, a little confused. 

- 

In an empty classroom, Makoto Kino sat at her desk. She was grading the papers that were just turned in by her second year Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff class. Then suddenly, she felt an assault of whispers filling her head. 

She clutched her head, seeing visions of complete desolation. She saw things that weren't her's to see. The planets that were being shown weren't her own, but Venus, Saturn, and Earth. And the last one, it was the most eerie of all... She knew exactly who it belonged to. 

"Harry Potter...such a tragic destiny..." she whispered just before she collapsed onto her desk. 

- 

When class ended, Firenze suggested that they each take off the rest of the day and spend the remainder of it in the hospital wing. He made sure they took his suggestion. 

When Madam Pomfrey exited the room, Hotaru clucked her tongue. "I swear, that woman is the most extreme worrywart I've ever encountered," she replied in light tones. 

The four lied back on their beds. 

"Why did you look into my prediction, Tomoe?" Lavender asked in a curious voice. 

Hotaru rolled over to her side and looked at the girl. "Because of what you said. You said, 'The land of love and beauty will cease to exist'. Earth isn't the land of love and beauty, Brown-san. It is Venus. When I placed my forehead upon yours, I saw your prediction and I saw the symbol of Venus. You, whether you want to hear it or not, are from the planet of Venus...or at least, you're a descendent of the people who came to Earth from Venus." 

"How did you?" 

"How did I look into your prediction and determine your lineage?" 

"Yeah." 

Hotaru rolled back over onto her back. "That is a story for another day." 

- 

Hotaru remained awake during the day, regardless of the fact that she was a little tired. Lavender slept soundly while Yue and Harry accompanied her insomnia. 

"I'm used to this sort of thing. I see it every night in my dreams," Harry replied when asked why he wasn't sleeping. "So my prediction didn't wear me out as much as Lavender's did." 

"Ah, so your prediction was about Voldemort then?" Hotaru asked openly. 

Harry blinked at her bluntness. "Um...in a way, yeah." Nothing else was said for nearly hours. Harry grew unbelievably tired and fell into a deep sleep. 

Yue frowned. "He's a wicked old man, isn't he? The things he's done...I'd like to chop him up into little bits and feed him to sharks if it were my destiny to fight him." 

Hotaru glared at him in a scolding way. In a harsh voice she said, "Don't say that! He isn't as bad as everyone thinks!" 

Yue lurched himself out of bed, staring at her wide-eyed. "Not as bad--! Hotaru, do you know what you're saying? He kills innocent children without hesitating!" 

Hotaru sneered. "He didn't kill me when he had the chance." 

"That's because you've been his obediant little lap-dog, haven't you?" he snarled. "He saw you for the power you had and now he's using it to his advantage. Don't you see? He's sucking you dry! He's killing everything that makes you you and awakening a monster that should've never been released to begin with!" 

"And that's my fault that monster has been released? I fight every day to push it down into the depths of my soul--so far down that it will never surface...but it's getting harder every day that I live!" Hotaru's tears began to crawl to her eyes. 

Yue climbed into Hotaru's bed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. "And you honestly think Voldemort has nothing to do with it? He's smarter than you give him credit for, Taru-chan. He's already seen that you possess such power that could be useful to him in the future. He'll betray you in the end, take your power, and then use it to kill every last person on Earth on the side of the light. You know this." 

Hotaru nuzzled herself in Yue's chest, more memories of this coming clearer. There were still blurs, but Hotaru now realised that Yue Takada was her beloved reincarnated cousin. "Do I? Maybe I do...but I don't want to see it. Yue-kun...am I destined to be betrayed time after time? No matter how many different lives I live? Is that my eternal fate?" 

Yue held her tightly. "Of course not. This is the bad part of your destiny, but the sunshine is coming. The happiness we once had so long ago will come again and then we'll never have to suffer...ever again." 

"I love you, Yue-kun," Hotaru whispered. 

"I know, Taru-chan." 

- 

Harry couldn't sleep that well that day. He lay there perfectly still, and dozed off for a few seconds. But the minute something was spoken, he was awake again. Or at least, he thought he was. It could've been a dream...everything Yue and Hotaru had said. 

He had heard them talking about Voldemort, thinking he was asleep. Then he heard the rustling of sheets, and knew Yue was climbing in bed with Hotaru. He was suddenly very angry. 

Then the words he had been dreading, "I love you, Yue-kun," in the most desperate, loving voice Harry had ever heard. 

He wanted to throw Yue out of the window at that moment. 

Then it was eerily quiet, and he heard the pitter-patter of footsteps making their way over to him. _Probably Madam Pomfrey,_ he thought. He pretended to be sleeping. 

"Potter...are you awake?" 

It was Hotaru. Harry's eyes opened in a flash and obviously, he had startled her. Her face was inches from his, and then suddenly it was a few feet away. "Um...yeah...now I am." 

Hotaru walked up to him and seated herself at the foot of his bed, her knees to her chest. "Yue's asleep, you can be truthful. You were awake the entire time." 

Harry sat up. "How did you know?" 

"Oh, certain parts when I was talking about Voldemort, you tensed." 

Harry bit his lip. "So, now what? Are you going to kill me?" 

Hotaru blinked. Then suddenly, she began to giggle hysterically. 

"What's funny?" Harry asked indignantly. 

Hotaru shook her head. "Kill you? That's funny. Why would I do that?" 

Harry furrowed his brow. "Because now I know you work for him. And you don't trust me to keep my mouth shut, do you?" 

Hotaru crawled beside Harry, and sat on her heels. "But you've known since day one that I've worked for Voldemort. You may have not realised that you knew, but you knew. Why do you think you've been so intrigued, yet hating me all the same?" 

"I-I haven't been hating you." 

Hotaru blinked. "Really? Hm. And here I thought I was being a good villain." 

Harry felt like smiling a little, and he did. "No, Draco Malfoy still has number one spot for school bully." 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Better not let him hear that. He'll be rejoicing for centuries to come. Whether you want to believe it or not, you mean a lot to him. Maybe not in the sense that friends mean a lot to each other...but you give him something to do besides get an ugly tattoo on his forearm." 

Harry bit his lip again. "Do you...do you have a tattoo?" 

"You think I trust you enough to show you?" 

"Sorry...but why do you trust me enough to not say anything?" 

Hotaru looked away for a moment, trying to answer the question to the best of her ability. "You should know, Potter, that some people dig themselves into holes that are so deep, they need a rope or ladder to climb out of them." 

Harry, acting on impulse, grabbed her hand. "I'll always have a rope for you." 

Hotaru looked up at him, startled by his action. She looked deeply into his green eyes, wondering just what he was getting at. Why was he acting like that? Why was he trying to help her, when she was trying to befriend him and then betray him so she could finally be free? Why did he have to look so determined to save her from forever being trapped within the depths of her hole? Why couldn't he just be a complete jerk so this wouldn't be so hard? Hotaru took her hand away from Harry. "You don't want to go making friends with people like me, Potter. I'm unreliable, untrustworthy, and unpredictable." 

"And you can't chose my friends for me." 

Hotaru walked away and to her bed, covering herself almost completely with her bed sheets. 

- 

That night, when Madam Pomfrey went to bed, Hotaru snuck out of the hospital wing. She snuck past the Great Hall, and down towards the forest. Hotaru stood at the edge of the forest, her eyes closed, and called Trinity telepathically. 

The majestic pegasus came without delay. _"You wish to speak to me?"_ she asked. 

Getting right to the point, Hotaru looked Trinity directly in the eyes. "Tell me, and be honest. Have there been any fatalitys back in Crystal Tokyo?" 

_"There has been one,"_ Trinity replied in a melancholy voice. _"Minako Aino, Sailor Venus, was killed last night."_

Hotaru looked down, dreading that statement. "You know this means that she isn't one of the Chosen Ones, right?" 

_"Yes. Minako Aino was never meant to be a Chosen One. Have you figured out who will become the new Saviour of Venus?"_

Hotaru looked up at the castle, towards the hospital wing. "I have a guess, but I could be wrong. I hope I'm not." 

TBC... 

Author's Note: Well, that's the end of Chapter Seven. Can any of you guess who the Saviour of Venus will be? Ten points and a hundred cookies for those of you who guess right (but I'll never tell...you'll have to wait and see!). I hope you've enjoyed this story thus far. This chapter was a little difficult to write, and it wasn't my longest. And a lot of relationships have been made withing a short period of time. But a lot of drama has been going on and sometimes a lot of drama in a short period of time brings people together faster than normal. Um, please review! 

*"Kusu mi e hei yis tandi ri ta" means "tell me of what may come to be". 

*"Maen hei maknabe tokhan" means "close what has been opened". 

I don't really know the tongue of ancient Jupiter...I made these words up. So...yeah. I'm just a dummy making words up to suit my needs. Sorry if it confused anyone. -Deirdre Blair 


	8. The Tip of the Iceberg

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: See previous chapters. 

Summary: Though it has only been a few days, many new surprises have been occuring at Hogwarts. And when a group of selected students is called to the hospital wing, an even stranger turn of events occurs. Also, Harry finds himself a little more than confused about his feelings. Well, he's not the only one... 

Author's Note: Keram Malicki-Sanchez rules! You know, I could sorta see him as Blaise Zabini... Ah, anyway, I was thinking aloud. Chapter Eight. Can you believe it?! I mean, I couldn't when I finished writing it. I can't believe I have gotten this far! And the chapters are so long to begin with. Oh man...this is just too much to comprehend. Just...here's chapter eight!!! I'm sorry it's taken me so long!!! 

Rating: PG13 

Genre: Drama/Romance 

Pairing: Hotaru/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Blaise/Draco 

Warnings: **Male/Male SLASH**

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter Eight  
The Tip of the Iceberg**

_Previously on **Tragic Angel**... _

~Makoto shook her head, nearly laughing. "Dumbledore's a smart man, so he's probably got it all figured out by now. Destiny has taken a detour and left it all up to one person to decide which way the wind will blow," Makoto replied, sounding uncharacteristically prophetic. "He won't tell you anything yet. It's up to someone else to let you in. I wouldn't go poking my nose into things that aren't my business yet, if I were you."~ 

~Yue's eyes flashed. "I would never do anything to her. I love her. I've loved her since the beginning." 

Harry suddenly felt as if his legs were going to give way at any moment. He suddenly felt very heavy, and ultimately cursed gravity. His voiced the only question on his mind. "And does she love you?" he asked in a quiet voice. 

Yue smiled brightly. "Of course she does. It'd be a little odd if she didn't. What are you so upset about?"~ 

~Harry jumped, startled out of his thoughts. "O-oh, nothing really. I just find it strange that Malfoy and Zabini were able to calm Hotaru down that well...without her cursing them into oblivion." 

Yue was a little shocked as well, but it didn't look as if it was because of what she did. "And you think she's the type to do that?" 

Harry nodded without hesitation. "It wouldn't surprise me."~ 

~In that very instant, it seemed as if Lavender, Hotaru, Yue, and Harry had returned to normal. However, they only seemed like it. But they looked as if they felt like hell. Some of the students noticed that what they thought was sweat near the four's eyes were actually tears. 

They had been mourning the fate of the world.~ 

~Hotaru looked away for a moment, trying to answer the question to the best of her ability. "You should know, Potter, that some people dig themselves into holes that are so deep, they need a rope or ladder to climb out of them." 

Harry, acting on impulse, grabbed her hand. "I'll always have a rope for you."~ 

~Getting right to the point, Hotaru looked Trinity directly in the eyes. "Tell me, and be honest. Have there been any fatalitys back in Crystal Tokyo?" 

"There has been one," Trinity replied in a melancholy voice. "Minako Aino, Sailor Venus, was killed last night." ~ 

- 

Hotaru sat in the cold grass, staring up at the star-filled sky, using her arms as support. Trinity stood next to her, not worried if she'd be caught. 

_"Are you ever going to go back to them, princess?"_ Trinity asked. 

Hotaru glanced at her. "Go back to them? Never." 

_"Helios tells me that they were your friends."_

"Yes, I thought they were. But...friends don't do the things they did." 

_"What did they do to you?"_

A dark look crossed Hotaru's sombre face. She said nothing, but continued to stare with distant hatred at a patch of grass. Suddenly, she rose to her feet and looked towards the rising sun. "The sun will be up soon. Madam Pomfrey will have my neck if I'm not in there when she checks on us." With that, she hurried off towards the castle at a steady run. She was fast like the wind. Haruka-papa taught her to be fast like the wind. 

Haruka-papa. 

Out of everyone in all of the senshi, Haruka-papa was the only one who understood Hotaru. She was cool, sometimes distant, but Hotaru knew she loved her very much. Hotaru returned the love everyday. She was the last one Hotaru suspected who could _allow_ them to do what they were planning to do to her. 

Tears breached the surface of her eyes. Her cheeks had long forgotten the feel of cascading tears, but were soon remembering with clarity. Hotaru bit her lip and continued to run. She had to run. Run from the memories flooding back into her river of thought. 

Damn it. Usually, she had kept a pretty tight lid on those memories. But ever since Yue came back into her life, they were coming back with full force. Damn him. 

Out of nowhere, Hotaru collided with something, causing her to fall squarely on her bottom. "Itai..." she spoke in her native tongue through clenched teeth. She looked up at the thing she collided into and saw...nothing. Absolutely nothing but thin air. 

Her eyes narrowed. Potter had an Invisibility Cloak. Well, she could quickly solve that problem. She raised her energy level only slightly, causing a wind to pick up around her. The cloak rippled and then slid limply off a rather shell-shocked Harry Potter. 

Hotaru smirked. "Well, well. Look who we have here. Looks like Potter's got himself an Invisibility Cloak." 

Harry quickly recovered from his surprise and blinked. "As if you didn't know." He held out his hand to help her up. 

Hotaru looked at it skeptically before reluctantly grabbing it. He hoisted her up with more force than was necessary. She collided into him again, but her hand was in his and she was still pressed up against him. Too close for her comfort. 

"I-I'm sorry," Harry sputtered out. 

Still pressed up against him, Hotaru felt herself begin to blush. He was much warmer against her than she would've liked. "My fault.... I...wasn't looking where I was going." 

Harry smirked this time, challenging her to move with his eyes. "Like you could've seen me anyway." 

Feeling nervous, Hotaru didn't have the will to pull a smirk on her lips. She managed to bite her lip, but it only made her look more flustered. Why wasn't he letting go of her hand? Damn it! Why wasn't she pulling away? "There are things you don't know about me, Potter," she said, trying to sound intimidating, but failing miserably. It only made her sound ever the more ruffled. 

Hotaru cursed herself because realisation was dawning in Potter's eyes. 

"Oh? Really?" he asked in feigned surprise. "Well, I have the funny feeling that there are _a lot_ of things about you that mystify me everyday." 

Hotaru mentally glared at the playful, mischevious glint in his emerald green stare. Oh how she wanted to stab them out. Yet, at the same time, they were very nice eyes.... No way. Not going there. Absolutely not. 

Why was he doing this? Tormenting her like this. It just wasn't right. Her stomach was tied in knots. Why was he making her feel like this? She had never felt this way before, and didn't want to start now. Yet somehow, she couldn't resist the weak feeling in her knees, the blush creeping up her cheeks, and the relishment in the warmth he was providing. 

And then suddenly, she couldn't resist falling foward, her lips meeting his. Tentively at first, and then needy. Her hands found their way to his neck and she pressed herself even more against him. The initial shock wearing off, Harry put one hand on the small of her back and the other on her cheek. Something wet slid across the back of his hand. He didn't notice. 

When air was suddenly something necessary, Hotaru pulled away. Her eyes were closed as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes opened to find Harry watching her. Pain flashed across her face. "Oh no," she whispered. "What have I done?" She pulled away from him, looked at him with tears streaming down her cheeks, and ran into the clinic, the doors closing behind her. 

Harry stood there, dumbfounded. He didn't know what to make of the situation. It was the most intimate contact he'd had with a girl in all of his life, and the best feeling he had ever known. It felt so right...but why was she so regretful afterwards? Maybe she needed comfort. She was crying after all when they collided. And she had been crying during the kiss. 

Confused, excited, and a bit hurt, Harry picked up his Invisibility Cloak and went to walk back into the clinic. But something caught a glint of light and gleamed, causing Harry to pause and examine it. He picked it up and looked at much closer. 

It was a wristwatch, elaborately designed with a gold band. It was weaving like ivy and vines. The face wasn't that of a watch though. It was an oval gem, light purple in colour, with unspeakable magic. Not the kind of magic wizards used, but magic in its own category. It looked and felt like it had limitless depth. Noticing tiny hinges, Harry opened it. Purple light shimmered out and died down to reveal ten different coloured buttons. White, pink, blue, red, green, orange, dark blue, aquamarine, maroon, and black. Each had a symbol on it as well. Two of them had crescent moons. The rest were the symbols of the planets. Only one was missing: Saturn. 

Curiosity getting the better of him, he pressed the red one with a golden symbol of Mars on it. The lid closed and shined red for an instant. Within seconds, a face appeared. 

"Hotaru-chan?" 

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin. "Uh, no..." 

The girl on the other end, with raven eyes and hair, opened her eyes wide. She looked like she could've been Hotaru's sister. "What are you doing with Hotaru-chan's communicator watch? Answer me! What have you done with Hotaru-chan?!" the girl cried hysterically. 

Harry's eyes opened wide as well. "Oh my God..." he whispered. "I haven't done anything to her...but she dropped this. Who are you? What is this thing?" 

Temper flared in the girl's eyes. "I don't believe you! I want to know who you are!" 

"Ha-Harry Potter," he managed out. 

Realisation flooded her features. "Harry Potter-san?" she asked in disbelief. "Prove it." 

He proved it the only way he knew how. He revealed his lightning bolt scar. 

"You _are_ Harry Potter-san." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you doing with Hotaru-chan's...er...watch?" 

"We ran into each other, she dropped it accidentally, and she ran off. Now, I know this isn't a watch. You said 'communicator' before. What's going on? Why does Hotaru have this? And who the hell are you?" he asked, his own temper getting the better of him. 

The girl's eyes went hard. "Don't speak to me in that manner, you insolent piece of--." She was suddenly interrupted. 

Another girl appeared on the screen, this one with blue hair and eyes. "Forgive my friend, Rei-chan. My name is Ami Mizuno," she introduced. "You say that she accidentally dropped this?" 

Harry nodded. 

She got a far-off distant look about her. "So that means she has been carrying it around. She hasn't been wearing it of course. Then how is it she won't answer any of our pages?" 

"Um...she's sort of a Death Eater.... Maybe that has something to do with it?" he asked. He didn't know why he said it, but felt compelled to do so. Ami Mizuno looked like she was worried sick about her friend. 

There were several gasps. This must've been a bit like Floo communicating, Harry reasoned. Just in the form of a wristwatch. "A Death Eater? Kami-sama! What has gotten into her?" Ami asked. "Go find her and put her on." 

Harry nodded and walked into the clinic. He found Hotaru sitting at her bed, staring out the window absent-mindedly. 

"Hotaru." 

Hotaru looked up at him, blushing furiously. "What is it, Potter?" she asked with extreme distaste. 

Harry, not having the patience to deal with her, tossed the wristwatch communicator into her hands. How could anyone keep her friends in a state of worry? Obviously, she had been ignoring them for quite some time. And it was making Harry very angry. 

Hotaru's eyes widened and she looked at the face of the watch. Sudden pure hatred slipped into her expression. 

"Hotaru-chan, listen! Don't hang up on me." 

"You are the last person I ever want to see or speak to," she said in a cold voice. Harry got chills. He never knew such loathing existed in anyone else but him until now. 

"Let me explain!" 

Hotaru looked ready to shout the Killing Curse at Ami Mizuno. "No. I don't need a petty explanation. I saw what you were trying to do." Tears began to shimmer in her eyes again. "_You_. You pathetic piece of shit. How dare you?!" A glowing symbol appeared on her forehead and there were screams on the other end of the line. 

Harry didn't know what she was doing, but he didn't like the sound of it. He raced over to her, grabbed the communicator, and threw it beyond her reach. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Hotaru! Stop it! STOP IT!" he cried desperately. 

The symbol slowly faded and even more tears fell freely from her violet eyes. She choked back a sob and hung her head. 

Feeling an over-whelming need to comfort her, Harry gathered her in his arms and held her tightly. She didn't resist at all. She cried silently into his shirt. The only thing that gave away the fact that she was, indeed, crying was the wetness on his shirt. 

He whispered calming words to her. Anything he could think of. He didn't know the situation, if her actions were justified, or if she was acting to lull him into a vicious trap. All he knew was that he needed to hold her. Hold her or else risk losing her to the darkness deep inside her. 

She stopped shaking and nuzzled into his chest. She wrapped her arms around his torso and tightened her hold. She held onto him as if he were her lifeline. Harry pet her hair reassuringly. 

Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office. "What's going on? I heard shouting." 

Harry shook his head. "It's under control." 

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Is Ms. Tomoe all right?" 

"She will be." 

She nodded again and walked back into her office. Her expression told him she thought she knew something. 

Harry felt like someone was watching him and looked over Hotaru's head to see Yue staring at him. It was a mixture of hurt and confusion. It was as if he were asking, "Why didn't she come to me?" 

Harry returned an expression that said all too well, "I'm handling it." 

Now his expression was cool anger, hurt, and confusion mixed together. Harry suddenly felt within danger's grasp. 

- 

"Are you absolutely sure we should be doing this?" asked Firenze, standing in Dumbledore's office. 

Dumbledore looked up at him from over his spectacles. "Do you agree that if the Seers that are in this school are not trained, then their powers could kill them and those around them?" 

"Well, yes, but I am not qualified for this position. While I know several forms of Divination, I am a centaur and therefore not accustomed to a human's divination skills," he argued. 

"That's where we come in." 

Firenze turned around to see Setsuna Meiou standing in the doorway with Makoto Kino beside her. Dumbledore didn't look surprised at all. 

"If it is all right, Dumbledore, I request that Makoto and I train the Seers. We have extensive Divination knowledge and skills. Also, we are certain that the abilities they have match our own. In addition to their Seer training, we must hone their skills as soldiers," Setsuna explained. 

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose. "Soldiers?" 

"Of their respective kingdoms," answered Makoto. "We all know of the enemy that must be defeated. The Ultimate Enemy. This goes way beyond Voldemort and the Death Eaters. You know this." 

Dumbledore sighed. "Of course I do. And I agree with your proposal. But do remember that while their souls are ancient, they are still children." 

- 

Throughout the next couple of days, tests were held to see who had Seer abilities, or at least abilities useful to Setsuna and Makoto in the Ultimate War. Those who were positive of these special abilities were held in the hospital wing with Hotaru, Harry, Yue, and Lavender. Those sent to the hospital wing were Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Dean Thomas, and Xavier Denton. 

"Why the hell are we here?" asked Ron in a grumpy tone. He was seated on a bed, his arms folded over his chest. 

Hotaru, Harry, Yue, Draco, Blaise, and Xavier all glared at him noticeably. "Shut your trap, Weasley," Xavier sneered. 

"They'll be here any moment to explain what's going on." Of course, Hotaru already knew what was going on--to some extent. She had a feeling that Yue knew as well, and much more than she did. But he was doing a good job of acting confused. 

"I don't know you Denton, but I'm already beginning to not like you," Ron spat at him, furious at being kept in a hospital wing with Slytherins. 

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual," Xavier drawled. 

"Both of you just shut up!" Hotaru cried, now standing in the middle of the room. "Once Set--Meiou and Kino get here, they'll explain what's going on! Until then, you either stay quiet or risk getting injured in a most uncomfortable way," she threatened. She had slipped just a little then. She hoped nobody noticed. 

Yue was looking at her, as well as Draco and Harry. Damn. 

They had better get here quick, she thought to herself. Or else there would be a whole lot more to be explained than just what they were doing in their current whereabouts. 

As if on cue, the doors opened to reveal Setsuna and Makoto. They walked through. The students all got up from their places on the chairs or beds and focused on them. They were all silent, expecting them to explain everything immediately. 

"I ask that you all sit, for the news we bring to you is a bit over-whelming for some," Setsuna requested politely. 

Only Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Dean sat. The rest stood exactly where they were, regarding the duo with extreme suspicion and distrust. However, only Yue looked at them with curiosity. 

"I am positive that you all are here with many questions as to the reason we've been keeping you in isolation. And we understand that you demand answers. But you must first listen to what we have to say, for we might answer your questions in our explanation." 

They remained quiet. 

"It has been concluded that the eleven of you have superior ablities to those of your classmates. Two of you have known this all of your lives. Another two of you have already discovered this, but just a few days ago. And the rest of you are just learning this now." 

"What do you mean, "special abilities"?" Draco asked without hesitation. 

Makoto put her hand on Setsuna's shoulder to tell her that she'd explain this one. "Abilities different from any of those around you. While you possess magic, it is the magic that everyone around you has. But the abilities I speak of are...unique. The ability to See, for example. As well as the ability to control a certain element unique to you, and the ability to call upon a certain higher power so that you may access more of your stored energy." 

"That told me nothing." 

"Then you aren't hearing properly," Makoto scolded. 

"I think you should go on with the history, Makoto. They know nothing about it, so your explanation doesn't make sense to any of them," Hotaru suggested, in hopes of getting the show on the road. 

Makoto didn't know whether to glare at her or thank her. She chose to do both. 

Setsuna went on with the history. "You have all heard before about Astrological Myth, am I correct?" She didn't wait for them to answer. "Or at least, you heard the basis of it. However, there is something about it that I left out on purpose. The entire myth isn't a myth at all. It's the past, true history. The goddesses were more than just godesses. They were soldiers in an eternal battle of good versus evil. Each lived on their respective planet and were master of their each respective element. They were what were known as the "Sailor Senshi"...which translates into "Sailor Soldiers". After a long a grueling battle between the evil queen Metallia and the entire galaxy, there were many casualties." 

Hotaru looked at Yue with a forlorn expression. She stood closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder, thanking what ever power that was at work that she had not lost him permanently. Returning the feeling, Yue wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 

Setsuna didn't seem to notice. "The princesses of Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune tried to defeat Metallia, but could not. The next planet that came across Metallia's path was Saturn." 

Hotaru buried her head in Yue's shoulder, not wanting to relive such painful memories. 

"Metallia had difficulty in taking over Saturn. The princess, who is also the goddess of Saturn, had been locked away for her own protection. Instead of staying by her side the entire time, the prince of Saturn, the princess's beloved cousin, went out into battle. He sent her to the room where the Crystal of Silence was held, only to open the door for him when the battle was over." Setsuna glanced at Hotaru. "Days passed, and the princess was losing hope as the minutes went by. Then she heard the prince at the door. She opened it only to find that the prince had suffered fatal injuries. She mourned for him and then touched the Crystal of Silence. She fell into a deep sleep." 

Hermione interrupted uncharacteristically. "Why is that?" 

"The Crystal of Silence could only be touched by the Saviour. And when that happens, the Saviour's life energy is stored inside of it. Only when the Fateful Day comes, will that power return to her." 

"Oh." 

Hotaru looked over at the Gryffindors, huddled together. Ginny Weasley was on the edge of her seat, her eyes and mouth open wide. She believed everything--which was surprising. The story Setsuna was telling _was_ true, but sounded a bit far-fetched. 

"By then, Metallia had moved into the Inner Solar System, where she fought with the five Inner Senshi. Each fell within minutes. Their powers weren't strong enough." 

Makoto began to wring her hands. 

"Metallia came to her destination: the Moon. The Moon was the home of the most powerful senshi and goddess of all: Princess Serenity. She had actually not gone to the moon herself. She sent her most powerful minion: Queen Beryl. Beryl was in love with the prince of Earth, Serenity's fiancee. But when he wouldn't succumb to her advances, she killed him. The princess then killed herself by sword, not wanting to live in a world without her beloved. Queen Serenity used the last of her power to send all of the senshi, dead or comatose, to Earth to be born again in the future. 

"These girls were also something else. They were Saviours. They were to be Saviours when the Ultimate Enemy would rise. They will all rise together to defeat the Ultimate Enemy, and hopefully, rid the entire universe of evil," Makoto interjected. 

Setsuna nodded. "Many, many years later, the senshi were revived and fought endlessly to rid the galaxy of evil. To this day, they are battling demons. In fact, a minion of the Ultimate Enemy is in Tokyo right now...but in your futures. The year 3030 to be exact." 

"The year 3030 isn't in _our_ futures," Hermione argued. 

"That's what you think now. But a great Ice Age will come and freeze the entire earth. This Ice Age will be different, however, because the life frozen will actually be preserved. Neo Queen Serenity, formerly Princess Serenity, will rise up with the ginzuishou--"Silver Crystal"--and revive earth. She will claim it as her kingdom and we will live the rest of our lives in peace." 

"Peace?" Hotaru asked in a quiet voice. "When I left, there had been no _peace_." 

Everyone turned their heads towards Hotaru. She was standing, completely tensed, with her fists clenched at her sides. 

"Hotaru..." 

"No. You were going to "out me" anyway, weren't you? You were going to out me, Yue, Makoto, and yourself. Don't lie," Hotaru spat. She glared directly in Setsuna's eyes. "In that future, a great enemy will appear and wreak utter havoc on all that is living. There will be suffering, torture, screaming through the night. I fought in one of the fights. The senshi, brave and noble as they are," Hotaru said sarcastically, with tears brimming the surface of her eyes. "Gave it their all in the battle with just a common demon. The only way it would stop their current battle was if the senshi handed over Sailor Saturn and the ginzuishou. They held on tight to the ginzuishou, but I was thrown into the pod it had formed and sent to the "mothership". There, I was witness to torture of innocents. And I was going to be next. Luckily for me, I had escaped by using all of my energy to get back to the palace. I could never rejoin you traitors. I went through the Gates of Time, going back to this period so that I--." Hotaru stopped. "So that I wouldn't have to be a senshi anymore." 

Everyone was shell-shocked. Yue was staring at Hotaru with such sympathy. He walked up to her and held onto her as if she were about to fade away. 

"Y-you're Sailor Saturn? The Goddess of Saturn? The _princess_?" Harry had a hard time spitting out the words. 

Hotaru looked up at him. "Yes," she said, finally speaking the truth. "Yue Takada is my cousin. Setsuna is Sailor Pluto, and Makoto is Sailor Jupiter." 

Hotaru caught sight of Draco and Blaise. Each had an identical expression of betrayal, confusion, and unadulterated anger. She bit her lip, but looked away. "I had to keep it a secret. For my sake, mostly. If Voldemort heard I was a senshi, he'd use me without hesitation. I _hate_ being used." 

Blaise and Draco kept silent, but crossed their arms, and stood defensively. They were looking at her with the same doubt and suspicion they regarded everyone else with. Xavier joined them. 

Hotaru couldn't take it anymore. "Why don't you just tell them why the hell they are here?" 

Setsuna glared at her. "You will not speak to me in that manner, Hotaru." 

Hotaru met Setsuna's glare with her own. They stared into one another's eyes for a very long time. It seemed as if ages had passed before Hotaru finally looked away and muttered, "I'm sorry." 

Astonished, Harry stared at her. Hotaru found passionate interest in her wringing hands. 

"It looks as if I should tell you why you are here now. Recently, Sailor Venus, the supposed Saviour of Venus, died--leaving us to conclude that not all of the senshi are Saviours. We have reason to believe that some of you may be the Saviours of your own respective worlds." There was silence. "When Queen Serenity used the last of her power to send the senshi to Earth, she also sent selected people--among them, the Saviours. We have found one of the Saviours within this school. That person is Lavender Brown." 

Lavender's eyes widened. "Me?" she asked meekly. 

Setsuna nodded. "Yes, Ms. Brown. The rest of you showed a considerable amount of life energy related to the other planets. Except for Harry Potter. He showed a substantial amount of Earth energy--so much that it over-powers the life energy of Mamoru Chiba, the supposed Saviour of Earth." 

"Does that mean...?" Harry asked suspiciously. 

"Yes, Mr. Potter. It means that you have a high chance of being the Saviour of Earth." 

Harry said nothing. 

"Hermione Granger, you showed a considerable amount of life energy of that of Mercury. You have the ability to call upon the powers of Ice and Knowledge. While Ami Mizuno, the Saviour of Mercury, still has more, you may have a large part in helping us defeat the Ultimate Enemy. Ginny Weasley, you showed nearly as much life energy of Jupiter as Makoto Kino does. However, she is the Saviour of Jupiter. You may call upon the powers of Nature and Lightning. Draco Malfoy, you have within you a substantial amount of life energy of the Moon, which would explain your and Mr. Potter's immediate disliking of one another. While Mr. Potter is the Saviour of Earth, he is also the Saviour of the Sun, which is quite the opposite of the moon. You have the power to call upon Light and the very aspects which make every one of us human. That is one of the strongest powers available. 

"Xavier Denton, you could be the Saviour of Neptune. You can call upon the powers of Water and Reflection. I have compared your life energy to that of Michiru Kaiou, and you have the purest amount. Ron Weasley, you have the power of Mars within you, although you do not have as much power as Rei Hino, the Saviour of Mars. You may call upon the powers of Fire. Blaise Zabini, you have the power of Pluto within you, the planet of which I am Saviour of. You may call upon the powers of Time itself. Dean Thomas, you have the power of Uranus within you. You may call upon the powers of Wind. Haruka Tenou is the Saviour of that world." 

Lavender stood up. "Wait, you forgot about Yue and Hotaru! Also, what may Harry and I call upon?" 

Setsuna smiled. "I did not forget about Hotaru and Yue. Lavender, you may call upon Love and Enchantment. Harry, your main power is protection, devotion to a certain something and protecting it with everything within you," she replied cryptically. 

"What about Hotaru and Yue?" Ginny asked, suddenly curious. 

Hotaru looked up. "I am the Saviour of Saturn, and therefore can call upon without limit, the powers of Death, Destruction, Silence, and Rebirth. Yue may call upon these powers, but they are no match for my own," she replied in small voice, as if being the embodiment of all those things was something to be ashamed of. 

"You have the powers of Death, Destruction, Silence, and Rebirth?" Harry asked, feeling a bit sympathetic. 

Hotaru caught his eye. She smirked, although it resembled a grimace. "It's not that bad." 

"Now that everything is out in the open, Hotaru, Makoto, and I will being your training sessions. You will learn to call upon your powers and use them for good. If you decide that you would rather use them for evil, you will pay an ultimate penalty. Not death, but your memory will be erased completely of this entire conversation--of every encountering the four of us, Yue included." 

"What do you mean I will be training them?" Hotaru asked. 

"Yeah! She's only sixteen!" Ron cried. 

Hotaru glared. "I am much, much older than that. I have been around since the creation of Saturn--over a billion years ago." 

Ron gulped. 

"Hotaru, you have considerable knowledge in this area, and will train them to help us defeat the Ultimate Enemy." 

Hotaru clenched her jaw and fists so tight, that it hurt. "When do we begin?" 

"Tomorrow," Setsuna replied. "None of you will be attending regular classes anymore. The magic you must learn is magic that cannot be taught here. However, since we do not want to alert your parents that you are learning anything but what is being taught here, we will stay at Hogwarts. We will use the Room of Requirement to train. I will "put a spell" on it to make it so that it will have a permanent placement, only when we use it. You will report to the Room of Requirement promptly after breakfast every morning, then we will break for lunch, then go back to training. After dinner, you will go back to your dormitories. This is a rigourous training process and should not be taken lightly. We will start small and then work our way up to bigger things. You are not senshi, and therefore will not be able to transform as we do." 

"Transform?" Dean asked. 

Setsuna thrust her henshin stick in the air. "Pluto Crystal Power! Make Up!" In an array of flashing colours and brilliant lights, Setsuna Meiou was transformed into the legendary Soldier of Time, Sailor Pluto. 

"Oh, transform," Dean said, as if it were obvious from the start. 

- 

The students were allowed to go back to their dormitories to soak all of the information in. However, Hotaru did not feel like going back to the Slytherin Common Room where she would be looked upon with suspicion. She took refuge by the lake that reflected the silver moon above. She leaned against the tree while standing, resting her against it. She closed her eyes and thought about everything that had been said in that room. 

Now everyone knew why she could never go back. She had been betrayed by the only family she ever knew. Why had they done it? Why had they so willingly sacrificed her to a small demon? These questions would remain unanswered, for Hotaru had her pride and would never go back to the senshi to ask. And the way Setsuna had retold her past with cool detachment. It was as if it really wasn't that emotional. 

It was a part in Hotaru's past that made her begin to cry. She had lost the only friend, the only family she had ever really known. And she hadn't been there to protect him. Yue had been the most important thing to her, and yet Setsuna was acting as if it were just a link in a chain of events that made up Hotaru's life--not important at all. 

"Hotaru?" 

The quiet, almost meek voice startled Hotaru out of her thoughts. She stood up and turned around to see Harry, cautiously standing there, completely vulnerable. 

Hotaru turned back to the serene lake. "Hello, Potter." 

Harry took this as an invitation to stand with her, and leaned against the front of the tree, facing the lake. "I'm sorry," he apologised. 

Hotaru furrowed her brow. "Sorry?" she asked with resounding shock. "What have you got to be sorry for? You haven't done anything." 

"Well, I know...but I'm sorry for the things that have happened to you. I know it must be hard...and I just wanted to say that, you know, I sort of understand." 

Oh, that's right. Harry had lost his godfather--the only family that he had ever known. And he had been used by Dumbledore, which was almost like being betrayed, but on a smaller scale. 

Hotaru got closer to him and hugged his arm. He jumped and looked at her, blushing from ear to ear. She had closed her eyes, smiling. "Thanks, Potter." 

A while had passed, and the two watched the lake as if it held all the secrets in the world. Finally, Harry broke the silence. "Why did you try to get closer to me?" 

"Physically or in the relationship sense?" 

"Er...relationship I guess." 

Hotaru held onto him tighter, afraid that once she spoke the truth, he'd make a run for it. And then she'd be losing another important aspect of her life. "Voldemort told me to. It was my mission. I was to come here, make friends with you or even become something more...and then turn you over to him so that he could kill you." 

Harry tensed and Hotaru bit her lip, hoping he wasn't going to say anything terrible. "And...now?" 

Hotaru relaxed somewhat. "Now that I've been "outted", so to speak, we're both on his hit list." She paused. "Honestly, I never had the intention of turning you over to him. I was going to actually help you in the battle against the Death Eaters...not in killing Voldemort of course. That's your destiny. Although..." She paused again and bit her lip. "Although I never thought I'd get in so deep." 

Harry blinked and looked at her. She was looking up at him. "What do you mean?" 

"I guess...I kinda like you, Potter," she replied, blushing herself. She looked back into the lake. "I kinda like you a lot." 

Harry blushed even deeper and slid his arm out of her grasp. Feeling a little braver than before, he took Hotaru's small hand into his, entertwining his fingers with hers. "I kinda like you a lot too, Tomoe." 

TBC... 

Author's Note: How's that for some Harry/Hotaru romance? There's more to come, believe me. We're only on chapter eight. I don't know how many more chapters there will be, but you can count on there being more than ten. I'm dreadfully sorry this took so damn long to get out. Writer's Block is the worst disease known to mankind, in my honest opinion. That and insomnia. I've had Writer's Block _and_ insomnia for the past month. So, I've been bent out of shape. Well, it's finally here. So what do you think? I'm sorry if the history was confusing...wording was really hard...especially since I don't have any brain food... 

I want my Chinese food. 

-Deirdre Blair 


	9. Concerns

Tragic Angel   
by Deirdre Blair 

Disclaimer: See previous chapters. 

Summary: Hotaru and Harry have finally told each other that they may like one another as more than just friends. But recent events won't let this new romance blossom. They must spend time apart, training for the approaching battle. What's more, a new student has enrolled at Hogwarts, but is he friend or foe? And what is his fascination with Hotaru and Draco? 

Author's Note: Chapter 8 wasn't my best. But I promise, promise, promise that this one will be so much better. Chapter 8 was my "off" chapter...where nothing really happened...except for the cute little union of Hotaru and Harry. Hehe. But this chapter is just going to be 100% better than the last. Also, I've decided that I might _not_ make this as Draco/Blaise as I thought I was. They might have a scene pretty soon, but I've decided that I won't make them a main pairing. They'll still be listed of course. Very side-pairing...as well as the R/Hr. I've also come to the conclusion that I am addicted to Bold flavoured Chex Mix. 

Rating: PG13 

Genre: Drama/Romance 

Pairing: Hotaru/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Blaise 

Warning: **Very mild SLASH**. 

**Tragic Angel  
by Deirdre Blair**

**Chapter Nine  
Concerns**

_Previously on **Tragic Angel**: _

"Are you ever going to go back to them, princess?" Trinity asked. 

Hotaru glanced at her. "Go back to them? Never." 

And then suddenly, she couldn't resist falling foward, her lips meeting his. Tentively at first, and then needy. Her hands found their way to his neck and she pressed herself even more against him. The initial shock wearing off, Harry put one hand on the small of her back and the other on her cheek. Something wet slid across the back of his hand. He didn't notice. 

Hotaru looked ready to shout the Killing Curse at Ami Mizuno. "No. I don't need a petty explanation. I saw what you were trying to do." Tears began to shimmer in her eyes again. "You. You pathetic piece of shit. How dare you?!" A glowing symbol appeared on her forehead and there were screams on the other end of the line. 

"Of their respective kingdoms," answered Makoto. "We all know of the enemy that must be defeated. The Ultimate Enemy. This goes way beyond Voldemort and the Death Eaters. You know this." 

"Y-you're Sailor Saturn? The Goddess of Saturn? The princess?" Harry had a hard time spitting out the words. 

Hotaru looked up at him. "Yes," she said, finally speaking the truth. "Yue Takada is my cousin. Setsuna is Sailor Pluto, and Makoto is Sailor Jupiter." 

"I guess...I kinda like you, Potter," she replied, blushing herself. She looked back into the lake. "I kinda like you a lot." 

Harry blushed even deeper and slid his arm out of her grasp. Feeling a little braver than before, he took Hotaru's small hand into his, entertwining his fingers with hers. "I kinda like you a lot too, Tomoe." 

- 

"Are you absolutely sure, m'Lord?" asked a panicked Lucius Malfoy. 

Voldemort's red eyes became even thinner slits than before. "Was it not your son who relayed this information to you?" he asked, his voice quivvering with rage. 

Lucius stood behind his master's chair in a very dark, dimly lit room. "Yes, it was. However, she has been a valuable asset--." 

"Lucius, you fool!" Voldemort cried. "She was _never_ on our side to begin with!" 

Lucius remained quiet for some time before speaking again, in an almost reluctant voice. "But killing her.... She's become very close to us. Perhaps instead of killing her, we should bring her over to our side, use her power for our purposes." 

Voldemort said nothing for a moment. "Let him in!" he ordered. 

The door opened to reveal a man in a long black cloak. A black cloth covered his nose and mouth. His face hidden in shadow, only two bright, sky-blue eyes were revealed. 

"Lucius, I'd like you to meet Zero." 

Lucius tilted his head very slightly. 

Zero tilted his head towards Lucius as well. 

"What is his purpose here?" Lucius asked Voldemort quietly, his voice holding the slightest amount of disdain. 

Voldemort gave a nasty, sinister grin. "I cannot tell even _you_ what his purpose is. However, I _can_ tell you that he is _very_ good at it." 

Lucius quirked an eyebrow. 

- 

When Hotaru returned to the Slytherin Common Room that night, she found that only a select few were still up. It must be later than I thought, Hotaru observed mentally. She walked towards the fireplace and sat on a leather sofa. She sighed with the full intention of relaxing. She could do so nowhere else--not even in her dormitory where four other girls gossiped and carried about. She closed her eyes for a split second before opening them again when she heard three people walking over to her. 

It was Draco, Blaise, and Xavier. 

Despite her good mood, she greeted them grumpily. "Yes? What is it?" she asked irritably. 

They said nothing, just loomed over her with their arms crossed and their eyes cool. 

"You know very well that I could not have told you even if I wanted to," she said before they could speak, knowing exactly what was on their minds. 

Still, they chose silence. 

"If you think you are intimidating me, you're sadly mistaken." She got up but was pushed back down by Xavier. He had no problem doing so. Her eyebrows rose. "Is this how it's going to be? Just because I happen to have one or two secrets, does _not_ mean that I betrayed _anybody_." 

Draco, who stood in the middle, was the only one to speak. "You betrayed us not by avoiding telling us what you are...but about your _other_ intentions." 

"My _other_ intentions," Hotaru repeated, knowing exactly what he meant. "I see. You're still on _his_ side, are you? Even after finding out what you are? You're still willing to be his lackies?" 

This time, Blaise spoke. "We never said we were still on his side." 

Hotaru blinked. 

"But you could've told us that _you_ weren't so that we could've openly told you that _we_ weren't." 

Hotaru nodded. "Fair enough. I suppose that in that sense, I did betray you, if only slightly. But while you thought I was on his side, I thought _you_ were on his side too. Now, I couldn't have very well told you of my true intentions if I thought you would relay them back to Voldemort, could I?" 

Something in Draco's eyes flashed, and Hotaru narrowed her own violet ones. 

"You know as well as I do that I could've done no such thing. Why don't we just call this even?" Hotaru asked. 

They all exchanged glances, each debating on whether or not they should do so. 

"Yes, why don't we?" Draco replied without the consent of Blaise or Xavier. However, they both nodded when he said it aloud. 

Eyes still narrowed in suspicion, Hotaru nodded as well. "If that's everything, I'll be off to the library. I have a few books I need to pick up." 

As she walked near the entrance, she cast one last analysing glance towards Draco. 

- 

Makoto, Setsuna, Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall sat in Dumbledore's office that night after everyone went back to their common rooms. Dumbledore sat at his desk, looking a little tired. Setsuna and Makoto sat in the two chairs in front of his desk. McGonagall and Snape stood near his desk. All looked extremely stressed and a little fearful. Even Snape had a little perspiration on his upper lip. 

"We must begin these training sessions immediately, without further delay. I agree upon that. But to take them away from their classes? Don't you think they still need to learn the lessons set forth by this school?" McGonagall asked Setsuna, Makoto, and Dumbledore. 

"We absolutely cannot risk their focus slipping, even for a split second. To put them in classes, we'd be ultimately risking their lives. If they lose their focus after they've opened the gates to their powers, their powers could consume them entirely. They could be killed," Setsuna told her. 

McGonagall bit her lip. "It just seems a bit unfair to _them_. After all, they've worked hard for the past five years to achieve the status they have today. To just come along and take that all away from them...it just seems so unfair to them!" 

Makoto stood up, eyes burning with emerald flames. "Unfair to them?! I realise that their fairness is important, but saving this world is the top priority. Don't you think it unfair to everyone that they don't get to live another day in peace? That they either die or spend literally _eternity_ in a world far, far worse than Hell? In the grand scheme of things, I'd have to say that sacrificing their fairness isn't as bad as you think!" 

"Makoto! Calm down!" Setsuna snapped. 

"Chikuso!" Makoto cried as she walked off, but not out of the office. She stood by the door, her arms crossed, her entire body rigid. 

She knew what it was like to sacrifice so many things to save the world. But if it meant saving the lives of so many other people, there was just no other way. 

Setsuna looked at McGonagall. "She _is_ right, however." 

Dumbledore looked at McGonagall as well. "Calm yourself, Minerva. They are right." 

McGonagall looked _livid_. 

"There _is_ another matter at hand here. The loyalty and trustworthiness of some of the students," Setsuna replied. 

Snape gave her a knowing glare. "If you are insinuating what I think you are...." 

"We are insinuating nothing," Setsuna interrupted. "But we cannot rule it out. It is well-known that Kemen Denton, Cole Zabini, and Lucius Malfoy are all Death Eaters. While we are unsure of their sons' beliefs, we must be watchful of all of them. I'm afraid that one of them might've already informed Voldemort of what happened today." 

"It was Draco Malfoy," said a voice from the doorway. 

Everyone turned to see Hotaru Tomoe walking in. 

"How in the world did you get the password?" McGonagall asked. 

Hotaru looked at her as if she were completely and irrefutably moronic. "I'm a senshi." 

Snape gave her a curious glare. "You're telling us that Draco Malfoy is the one who is relaying information to the Dark Lord?" 

Hotaru nodded. "I'm certain of it. I can't exactly tell you how...but I know the look in one's eyes when they've done something you don't want them to do." She saw that Makoto had chosen to stand instead of sit, but why near the doorway, she didn't know. She shook her head and walked over to Dumbledore's desk. "I had an encounter with Draco, Blaise, and Xavier just a few moments ago. When I told them that I couldn't have trusted them to keep their mouths shut, Draco got a funny look in his eyes. That statement alone unsettled him. I can draw no other conclusion than that he has informed Voldemort." 

Dumbledore watched her in analytical silence. "Can you gather no other, less circumstantial evidence? I do not want to have young Mr. Malfoy think we're all suspicious of him, because if he is innocent, he will never again be able to trust us in the slightest." 

Hotaru thought for a moment. "There is a way...." She looked at Setsuna. "But I'll have to be alone, _completely alone_ with him for at least one hour tomorrow. Any interruption could cause severe psychological damage...perhaps even death," she looked back at Dumbledore, "but only if you're willing to risk it." 

"What is your method?" 

Hotaru exhaled deeply as if the mere thought of it exhausted her. She had done it only once, a very long time ago, but had passed out immediately afterward, not to recover for six months after. The person had been in a coma for twice as long. She met with Dumbledore's eyes, her gaze unwavering and every bit as certain. "Mind-reading." 

- 

"Are you out of your mind?!" cried an hysterical Makoto as they exited from the hallway that led to Dumbledore's office. 

Hotaru chuckled. "Terrible pun, Makoto." 

Makoto grew furious. "That wasn't funny, Hotaru!" She threw her hands up. "Mind-reading! What in the world possessed you to even suggest such a thing?!" 

Hotaru glared. "I've done it before!" 

"Oh, yes, I know you have. My brother was the one who you put in a coma because of it! I thought the Council had forbidden you to even think of reading another person's mind. It's too personal, and it could kill if you lose control," she informed. "Or has the Council allowed you once more?" 

Hotaru went completely still, every muscle in her body tense. "The _Council_ does not get to decide when and how I use the powers I possess." 

"Yes they do. They do for a reason." 

Hotaru pushed past Makoto forcefully, knocking the wind out of her as she did so. She stopped and turned slightly towards Makoto, who was trying to breathe again. "I am no longer under the jurisdiction of the Council. If they want to stop me, they'll have to send their mightiest forces. No matter what, I am no longer going to obey _their_ rules." 

"It's for the good of mankind, Hotaru!" 

Hotaru turned back towards her destination. "No, it's for the good of _your_ ideal mankind," she spat as she walked off, rounding the corner. 

The Council Makoto had spoken of was the most influential and strongest power in the entire universe. They were made up of the queens of each solar system, Princess Kakyuu and Serenity among them. Galaxia had been among them before she had been possessed by Chaos, and killed. Hotaru didn't know the other members, as Setsuna was the only one among the senshi of the Milky Way galaxy who could enter the room in which they would gather. They gathered only once a month. 

However, after Hotaru had read the mind of Makoto's brother (he had allowed her to, it was purely consential), and after she had placed him in a coma because of it, the Council ruled through Setsuna that she was never again to use her mind-reading powers. The only borne power she was to ever use was healing. She had quite a few others such as mind-reading (obviously) and the ability to kill or give life at her choosing (but only at her ultimate state after the Senshi wars), but healing was the only one that did not cause harm. Hotaru understood, but felt like a child would when her favourite doll is taken away. She was indignified because of the Council's decision, not able to use even the powers the Fates had given her. 

Of course, she knew why the real reason why they did it. It was because they were afraid she'd take over the entire universe and not let the rightful one rule. That was absurd. She had thought about, being as ambitious as she was, but she never put those thoughts into actions. But now...well, she didn't have to obey the Council anymore. She could be whatever she wanted to be. 

A dark look crossed her features. To be able to take control of the entire universe...that was a rather exciting prospect. She'd need to gather an army first because she knew that the Council would never allow her to. She shook her head. No, this was silly. She was never meant to rule and even though she could probably stay in power for a few days, Fate would never allow her to last. It wasn't _her_ destiny. It was _his_. 

She knew who would rule the world after the final battle. It would be one of two people. Voldemort or Harry Potter, whichever killed the other when the time would come. She felt a shudder, knowing that she was hoping with all her heart Harry would win. 

She didn't need to hide it anymore. She really liked Harry, if not more than liked him. She couldn't say she loved him. No, that would cause rise to a whole armada of complications. It was much easier to like him. 

Hotaru re-entered the common room, more exhausted than she thought she could ever be. This had to be the most strenuous day she had ever lived through. She ignored the curious, confused looks cast her way and went directly to her dormitory, and then her bed, where she fell into the soft mattress. 

She was asleep instantly. 

- 

Dumbledore read over a letter in his office, McGonagall and Setsuna standing beside him. "A Mister Dolon Gilroy wishes to join Hogwarts. It says he's attended Durmstrang for six years and now wishes to learn at Hogwarts. Seems he's moved and his parents want him close to home," Dumbledore summarised aloud. 

"Gilroy.... That name doesn't quite sound familiar," McGonagall mused. 

Setsuna remained quiet, afraid if she said something, she'd give it away. She already learned her lesson once not to interfere with Fate, and Dolon's presence was absolutely necessary, even if it would cause devastation. 

"What do you think, Setsuna? Should we allow Mister Gilroy to join us so late in the year?" 

Setsuna sighed, a bit weary of her duties as Time Guardian and the knowledge that came with it. "We have no choice." 

A bit mystified by her answer, both McGonagall and Dumbledore signed off on the student. 

I'm so sorry, Setsuna thought to herself. Dumbledore gave her a sympathetic smile. Setsuna instantly put up her guards a bit more, knowing that the Headmaster was reading her mind. Damn bastard! Whoever decided he should be trained in his abilities as a mind reader ought to be drug out into the street and...oh wait, that was Nova. What was she thinking anyway? Setsuna mused in her thoughts as she exited the office and went into her room. 

She would not sleep tonight, as she never slept, but watch over the entire world through her Time Mirror. 

- 

The next morning, Dumbledore had an unexpected announcement. It seemed as if it were the year for transfer students. Dolon Gilroy was the new one this time, and he was introduced at breakfast. When the Sorting Hat was placed on his head, he held a familiar smirk that quite resembled Draco Malfoy's. It came as no surprise that he was placed in Slytherin without any delay. 

It did come as a shock, however, that as soon as Dolon's eyes met with Draco's curious ones, Dolon strode over to him and introduced himself as a gentleman would, and sat next to him. 

Hotaru and Blaise looked at him in disbelief. 

At the table, Dolon had eyes only for Draco, who relished in the attention. Hotaru and Blaise wondered briefly if Draco even knew that Dolon was blatantly flirting with him. 

"I don't like him," Blaise whispered to Hotaru immediately. 

Hotaru shook her head to agree. 

"His name," she said after breakfast was over and they were on their way to the Room of Requirement. "Kind of unsettles me. I don't think it's his _real_ name." 

Draco furrowed his brow. "And what's his name have anything to do it him?" 

"Well, Dolon was a Trojan spy in ancient times. And Gilroy was a servant of the king. Now, don't you find it a bit odd that _that's_ what his name would be, had he no alterior motives?" 

Draco narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?" 

Hotaru sighed. "I'm trying to tell you that Dolon is nothing but bad news." 

- 

In the Room of Requirement, Setsuna, Makoto, and Hotaru stood in front of the others. They all had the identical expression of curiosity on their faces. 

"Welcome to the first day of your training," Setsuna said emotionlessly. "We'll start with the basics today--releasing the inner power and trying to tap into it. For some, it'll take all of the energy you possess. For others, it will come naturally and will take little energy. I'm going to split you up into three groups. However, Hotaru will not be able to train you for today. She has other matters to attend to." 

Hotaru didn't return the glance Setsuna gave her, but just kept her eyes on Draco. 

"In my group: Hermione Granger," Setsuna began. "Lavender Brown, Ginny Weasley, and Dean Thomas. In Makoto's group: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Xavier Denton. In Hotaru's group: Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Yue Takada. Now, for today, Hotaru's group will join with mine." 

Hotaru nodded as her group went to join Setsuna. She casually walked over to Draco and touched his arm. "Come with me," she answered to his inquiring look. He obeyed silently and the two walked to a room at the back of the Room of Requirement. Hotaru opened the door and shut it when they were both inside. 

Harry watched. "Where's she going with Malfoy?" Harry asked to himself. 

"It's none of your business. Now, pay attention. What Makoto and I will tell you is very important." 

Harry looked up at Setsuna, blushed a little, and nodded. The entire group surrounded Setsuna, while Makoto's group did the same with her on the other side of the room. 

"Before you can learn to use your powers, you must first learn to control them, and before that, actually unlock them. Are you ready?" She received a unanimous nod. 

When Draco and Hotaru entered the room, and after Hotaru had closed the door and turned on the lights, Draco became suspicious. "What are we doing in here?" he asked. 

Hotaru remained silent and then walked over to a pair of chairs facing each other. "Sit," she demanded in a gentle voice. 

Draco raised one eyebrow. "I think I'll stand." 

Hotaru shook her head. "Don't be silly. I have to tell you something very important. Your legs will get tired if you stand all the while." 

Draco took his seat. "What's this about, Tomoe?" 

She sat in the seat directly opposite of him. "I have some questions that need answering," she replied, looking him directly in his eyes. "And there is only one way I will get the truth." 

Draco started to rise. "If you're talking about Veritaserum..." 

"No, it's much more complicated than that." At once, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him to her so that their foreheads were touching. 

Soon after, Draco felt a hot burning sensation all over his body, as if his insides were being cremated, as if they were melting. He tried to push Hotaru off of him, but could not. He couldn't even move. 

Images flashed through Hotaru's mind. Images of death, of blood, of anger, frustration, and a deeper feeling that Hotaru recognised, but could not understand. They swirled and melded together, pride mingling with uncertainty, guilt mingling with a sense of duty, and frustration at something Hotaru couldn't put her finger on. The complexity of everything inside of Draco, made Hotaru want to break the contact, but also made her want to stay to learn more. There were so many things she could relate to, but yet not fully comprehend. He was an enigma wrapped inside of a mystery. 

She found his deepest secrets, but tried not to go further into them. She tried to steer clear. But she also found the answer she had feared, yet had been looking for the entire time. She broke contact immediately, not wanting to risk losing both of their lives. 

Due to the severe draining of his energy, Draco passed out then and there. Hotaru, because she had more life energy than him, was able to stumble out of the room. 

Setsuna ran over to her and grabbed her in her arms. She had only one question. "Is he?" 

Hotaru could only nod and then collapse as the both the complexity of Draco's mind and the sheer drainage of her powers and energy overwhelmed her. 

Setsuna looked back at Hermione Granger. "Fetch Madam Pomfrey," she demanded. Hermione said nothing, but obeyed quickly. 

The other students looked on in wonder and astonishment. What had exactly gone on? Both Makoto and Setsuna seemed aware of what had transpired, but weren't about to let anyone else know about it. And where was Draco Malfoy? What had gone on to drain them so much? These were only a few of the questions zipping through their minds, though each received no answers. 

Ron had looked to Harry, as if he'd know. Harry only shrugged and looked back at Hotaru. 

- 

Hotaru awoke three days later in the hospital wing. It seemed as if everyone knew the exact time and date that she would wake up, and had decided that they should all gather around her at that time and ask if she's all right. She groggily waved them off, cursing and insulting them like only a Death Eater would. Some hurried away, fearing for their lives; others stayed and watched her, knowing that she was probably experiencing an awful headache. 

Hotaru was experiencing just that. But also, a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach, cotton-mouth, and blurred vision. She tried to shake the blurred vision off, but that only made her headache worse. She opted for lying back in the bed and closing her eyes instead. 

"Are you all right, Hotaru?" asked a familiar voice. However familiar it was, Hotaru couldn't recognise it. 

"Do I look all right to you?" she snapped aggressively. At this point, she really didn't care. She just wanted to feel better. But she knew that she would not until she had regained all of her energy back--every last ounce of it. That could take days, even weeks. The more power she had, the longer it took to recooperate. Draco Malfoy was probably already walking. Speaking of him.... "How's Draco doing?" she asked anybody in particular. 

"How do you think he is, Hotaru?" asked the irritated voice that could only belong to Makoto Kino. "He's on the edge of being comatose. The same thing happened, only this time, the victim was weaker. Imagine the damage you've done!" 

Hotaru could hear the emotion in Makoto's voice, and she actually almost sympathised with her, but it wasn't enough sympathy. Quite honestly, she didn't care about Makoto's opinion. Her brother had volunteered for it, had practically begged her to do it. 

She could remember it so clearly, as if it were only yesterday. They were really good friends, and Hotaru had just been informed she had mind-reading capabilities. Well, being the ambitious person he was, Makoto's brother persuaded her into reading his mind. He wanted her to learn how. She did, but didn't know when to stop. She ended up putting him into a coma. When he got out of it, he couldn't remember who he was or anything of the sort. He could only remember flashes, but nothing more. Makoto had never really forgiven Hotaru, and when she heard that Hotaru's mind-reading abilities were to be suppressed for all of eternity, she was more than relieved. Afterwards, Makoto had been a bit more civil to the senshi of Death--just as long as "mind-reading" was never mentioned. 

"I hardly did any damage. I was more careful this time," Hotaru told her in a quiet voice, hoping that Makoto would quiet her's down as well. 

She did no such thing. "Oh, right! And I suppose being comatose _isn't_ damage!" 

Hotaru grimaced and clenched her jaw. "Look, you're brother wanted me to do it. He persuaded me to do so, not taking no for an answer. He wanted me to practise on him so that I could hone my skills. It was my first time, and I didn't know what I was doing! It was reckless of me, I know, but I was only literally six years old at the time! But I knew what to do this time. I knew how and when to limit myself to just one thing, and not a broad range of topics. I did not inflict any permanent damage, I assure you." 

Makoto said nothing, and Hotaru assumed she had left the room. Judging by the slamming of the doors, she had assumed correctly. 

Nobody said anything for quite some time, and after a few moments, Hotaru felt a hand crawl to her own and intertwine it's fingers with her own. The familiar warmth made her believe it was Harry. She didn't have the strength to squeeze his hand, nor did she want to. She wanted only silence and rest--only to be well again. Then maybe she'd be in the mood to be with him. But not now. 

"Could I just be alone for a little while?" she asked very quietly. She felt Harry's hand tense and then he let go. She heard footsteps making their way out of the room. Hotaru sighed and let herself go completely. She felt herself dip into a pool of slumber. 

- 

Dolon Gilroy walked into the hospital wing later that evening, while nearly everyone would be at dinner. He snuck into the room where Hotaru and Draco were, and walked over to Hotaru's bed. He watched her sleep, his sky-blue eyes shimmering with thought. He brushed a few locks of dark violet hair from her face. Her eyebrows furrowed and she squirmed somewhat. But then she was silent and still. 

"You are a strong person, Hotaru Tomoe, but still very vulnerable, still very young," he said in a dictated voice, a voice that never gave way to emotion. "There is a creature that sleeps inside you, a creature so dark that it would put the Dark Lord to shame. Everyday it sleeps, it grows stronger. And as it grows stronger, so does its hold over you. Soon you will no longer be able to control it and it will eat you alive until there is nothing left but darkness. Hotaru Tomoe will be forever dead." 

As he said this, she stirred again and shut her eyes harder. Her symbol flickered then faded on her forehead. 

"Do nightmares haunt your sleep, young one?" he asked. "Do you dream of the creature inside you, of the things it can and may do? How can you not? You are so sensitive to such things. That is why you prefer this dimension and the profession you had. You feed on darkness, whether you want to or not. You are at your best when surrounded by darkness." 

He furrowed his brow a little. "Which inevitably brings me to the question, why him? Why have you chosen to be with Harry Potter? He is only light. Your true self, the very essence that makes you who you are--that sets you apart from the others, will die every second you spend with him. Eventually, you will diminish." 

Hotaru's mouth opened, and she tried to speak, but nothing came out. 

"What? Are you trying to answer me? Can you hear me on some level?" he asked curiously. 

"My..." she whispered with much strain. "My...Saviour..." 

His eyebrows rose. She seemed to calm down to the point where she looked almost dead. 

- 

Hotaru's headache, stomachache, cotton-mouth, and blurred vision had been reduced to a very minimum in about four days. Thus, she had been deemed well enough to begin attending the training sessions. She was still very bitter towards everyone, and felt the need to take her illness out on everyone around her. Harry had been smart and given her enough room, hardly even acknowledging her presence. That had been the evening she got out of the hospital wing. It was now the next morning, and Hotaru did feel better at all. This would prove to be a fun lesson. She yawned and walked to the Room of Requirement. A few students, Hermione, Blaise, Xavier, Yue, and Dean, were already there. 

They bid her good morning, but she hardly acknowledged them. She just sat in a chair and put her head down, to keep it from spinning. 

Draco Malfoy had woken up just yesterday, but had said nothing to anybody. Nobody was really sure the extent of the damages done on him. He had fallen back asleep, but would not be able to get out of bed for another couple of days. 

Yue walked up to Hotaru and sat down next to her. "Hotaru." 

She groaned and looked up at him. "Yes?" she asked, irritated. 

"If you'd like, I could take over today's lesson. I've already got the main gist of what's going on. We haven't gotten to unknown territory yet, so I know what to do," he offered. 

A few more students entered the room, Harry Potter among them. He immediately looked over at Yue and Hotaru. Blaise was steadily walking over to her, as well as Xavier. They surrounded her, but did not intrude. She looked up at them. "Really?" she asked. "Are you sure?" Somehow, she could not stay annoyed at them. 

Yue smiled. "Of course. The only person I have to teach is Zabini and he's not too much to handle." 

Blaise glared at him. "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult. Either way, I'm much more complex than you think." 

"I'm sure." 

"I am!" 

Hotaru put a hand over Blaise's mouth. "Please! Don't yell...I still have an awful headache." She groaned again. "Ugh...it feels as if I've got a hangover.... I haven't felt this bad since that time I decided to get rid of my entire supply of vodka." 

While Yue, Xavier, and Blaise laughed, causing Hotaru to groan again, Harry felt a little shocked. She drank? Somehow, he didn't think she did--that she ever could. 

"Do you think Hogwarts has a hidden stash of beer? I could use one right now," Hotaru asked. 

"Believe me, we've looked. No such luck," Xavier told her. 

"Class will begin!" announced Setsuna. Everyone assembled into their groups. 

Yue walked up to Setsuna. "I'm going to substitute for Hotaru today. She has already given me permission." 

Setsuna nodded. "Today, since you have all successfully learned to tap into your powers, we will being using them. To help you, Yue, Makoto, and I will have to transform into our senshi forms." She looked to Yue and Makoto, who were each ready--Makoto with her henshin stick and Yue with his henshin orb. 

"Pluto Crystal Power! Make Up!" 

"Jupiter Crystal Power! Make Up!" 

Yue didn't need to shout any henshin phrases. But the orb did grow brighter and as soon as all three lights dimmed, Yue, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Pluto stood in all their glory. 

Hotaru nearly laughed at every boy's obvious once-over of Makoto and Setsuna, and every girl's of Yue. Only, Blaise didn't exactly seem interested in Makoto or Setsuna, but more in her drop-dead-gorgeous cousin. She furrowed her brow. 

The lesson commenced, and each student was being taught on the most simple "spell": detection of negative forces. 

About fifteen minutes into the lesson, Harry Potter was able to detect every sign of negative energy along with Xavier Denton and Blaise Zabini. Hotaru, getting dreadfully bored, got up and exited the room. 

"Oh, and I feel one walking out of this room..." Blaise trailed off. 

Everyone looked up, and immediately to the corner where Hotaru had been sitting. She was now missing. Yue looked up at Setsuna and Makoto, who both wore the same identical expression of wonder. 

- 

Hotaru was at the hospital wing in no time. She knew Draco was awake. Since she had read his mind, she was more atuned to his activities. It wasn't intentionally done, but just a side-effect of mind-reading. She entered the room and walked up to Draco. He was silently reading a Quidditch magazine. 

Before she could speak, he snapped at her. "So, what did you do to me?" 

She sighed and sat in a chair beside him. "It's called mind-reading. I've been able to do it since I was born. It's...an inherited 'gift'." 

"Why?" 

"I suspected you of being a spy, and the only way I could really get the truth was through mind-reading. So I should be the one asking you the question, why? You aren't on his side, Draco." 

"How _dare_ you call me that?" he spit at her, his eyes glittering maliciously. "You have no right to. You betrayed me. You took advantage of me. I think in all rights, what you did could be considered rape by some people." 

Hotaru's eyes went wide. "No! I didn't...." She sighed, knowing he would not listen. "Look, you betrayed me first by telling your father about my secret." 

"Two wrongs don't make a right." 

She furrowed her brow. "So you admit what you did was wrong?" 

He crossed his arms. "Of course it was. But I was only doing what I was supposed to do. You have to understand that had I not told him, someone else would have." He looked around to make sure nobody was in the room, grabbed his wand, and uttered, "_Silencio!_" so that they would not be heard. "I am as deep in this shit as you or anybody else is. My cover would have been blown to Timbuktu had I not told him. I was trying to tell you without telling Blaise or Denton that day with my eyes. I assumed with all of your magical powers, you'd be able to get it." 

"You assumed right," she sighed. "Only, I thought it was guilt. I told Dumbledore to get permission to read your mind. He, with much reluctance, gave it to me. I followed through with it. But I didn't see any evidence that you were really on our side...." 

"Of course not!" he cried. "I have been trained to hide many, many things underneath layers and layers of lies. I have to or else risk getting caught." 

Hotaru stood and walked to the edge of his bed. "I'm sorry. If I would've known sooner...." She sighed again. "I didn't pry into anything too personal. Only what I _needed_ to find. Those other thoughts beckoned me, even tempted me, but I did not fall into temptation. I swear it." 

He looked her squarely in the eyes. After a few moments of silence, he closed them again. "All right, I believe you. But never, _never_ do that to me again. I mean it. That was the worst pain I have ever experienced. Even now I can only dream of the images you stirred up that had been laid to rest. I swear I'll never get a restful night's sleep again." 

Hotaru gave him a shy smile. "You will. I promise. Eventually, those images will go back to being dormant. And I promise never to do it again without your permission." 

"And know that I will never give it." 

She chuckled. "But you should know something before I go. From now on, we will share an almost telepathic link. We'll each know where the other is at all times, how the other is feeling, what the other is doing, and sometimes, if our thoughts become that strong, what the other is thinking. It's a side-effect." 

"So that's how I knew you were coming in before you even did so." 

She nodded. "Yes. It will only get stronger, too. Right now, it isn't very strong because we are both still very weak. You'll come to in about a few days or less, though. By then, the bond will be so strong that it'll be a bit frightening at first. But, I'm sure we'll get used to it. We're too stubborn not to." 

Draco smirked. "All right then." 

Hotaru smiled, gave his hand a friendly squeeze, and exited the room. 

- 

Hotaru walked back into the Room of Requirement, as she hadn't been gone that long. By the time she had re-entered, the last student, Ginny, had been able to detect negative energy. Hotaru knew this because Ginny had pointed out Hotaru's appearance without even looking at her. 

Once again, the students gazed at her in wonder. She knew what they were wondering about. They wondered if she was truly evil, if her magical signature was really negative. Of course, she herself wasn't evil. But there was a creature deep inside her that slept. And it had the strongest darkness in the galaxy. The fact that they were able to pick up on it's signature so readily worried her. It meant it was growing stronger, that she was slowly going to begin fading any day now. Scared out of her mind though she was, she would not let this show. She calmly sat back down in a chair and watched the students. 

- 

Author's Note: End of Chapter 9. Wow. Did that make up for the previous one? I hope so. I kind of liked this one myself. A lot of foreshadowing, revelations, and even more mysteries that need to be solved. I hope it wasn't confusing. As I look back, I think it might be a little bit. But I'm sorry. I'm kind of sick right now and anything I do won't make much sense at this point. I'm recovering though. Okay, so I'm going to leave with that. I hope you enjoyed it and please review! It's about time I've updated too... It's been well over a month, hasn't it? 

-Deirdre Blair


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